The Fool
by KayCeeRamblings
Summary: Cana had always said that Gray was a fool, but was that really such a bad thing? A collection of One-Shots (that kinda link together in some strange way) centred around Gray and the bonds he has with many of his friends throughout his time at the guild.
1. Written in the Cards

**What's this? Could it be? Is PokéTail actually uploading a fanfic again?!**

 **Okay so I should probably explain why there's been such a huge gap between fics. For those of you who don't care, feel free to skip the bold and head right down to the story because... we could be here a while.**

 **So I'll start simple. College happened and I had to complete my University application, write a Personal Statement bla, bla, bla. On the plus side, I got in to my first choice and starting in September I'll be studying Drama & Creative Writing which, in turn, should mean more fics coming your way.**

 **Also with college, we put on an amateur production of High School Musical at the end of March and that took up most of my time as I was the choreographer. It was so much fun and the cast bought me a Mickey Mouse Tsum Tsum as a thank you which made it even more worthwhile!**

 **And now here's the crap. Around last summer, my mental health plummeted and a lot of shit went down in my personal life that put me off doing anything really. A lot of the fanfics that I had lined up ended up getting deleted because I just wasn't finding it fun anymore. I was tempted to drop Drama too because of the circumstances I put myself in and how my grades took a nose dive. I've gradually been getting better (I think the college production was partially to blame for that) and I've been starting to write much more than I usually would so let's hope I can keep this up!**

 **Thank you to all you amazingly creative people who post fanfics and give me feedback on mine, I think this is probably one of the key things that have kept me going this year... Well this and Game Grumps!**

 **Anyways, enough of the explanations and on with the new fic! Enjoy! ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. This current arc would be veeeeeeeeeeery different if I did.**

* * *

"It's not possible. Iced Shell is a magic controlled by the will of its caster. No magic from any outside party can melt its ice."

"But... But isn't this guild supposed to be full of amazing wizards?"

"... To melt that ice would be no different from killing this "Ur" you speak of."

"Then...! I want to be stronger... Way stronger! Then someday, I'll figure out a way myself!"

"You say that but..."

"So please...! Allow me to join Fairy Tail!"

He didn't realise at the time, but that one decision would change his life in more ways than one.

* * *

Eight year old Gray Fullbuster was sat comfortably at one of the many tables in this foreign guild hall. Makarov had passed him a multitude of snacks after Porlyusica had insisted that the child was at risk of being dangerously underweight due to his cutbacks during his travels. He'd honestly not realised how much he'd missed eating food. The young Ice Wizard was more than content... That was until two familiar faces decided to approach him.

"Hey, Gray was it?" A dark haired man asked with a smile.

"Yeah," he mumbled, between bites.

"I'm Macao, Fairy Tail's resident Fire Wizard and a team mate of the asshole who got you blown up the other day."

"Yeah, speaking of that..." It was none other than Wakaba Mine, that drunken wizard he'd met a few days ago when he'd first arrived in Magnolia. "I'm uhhh... Sorry about all that... Getting you involved in all that crap with Circus Knight and uhhh... Thanks for coming to rescue me." This was clearly one of the most humiliating moments in Wakaba's life. A grown man having to one, apologise for getting a child blown up; and two, thanking the boy for coming to his aid.

"Now the other reason we came over here was to introduce you to our friend."

A timid brunette, no older than Gray, shuffled out from behind the two males and gave him a small, welcoming smile. "Hi," she averted her eyes and fiddled with her fingers.

"Uhh... Hi," Gray awkwardly responded, raising his hand.

Macao and Wakaba shared a look, sensing the tension clouded inside the awkwardness. "Well..." Macao started, "we'll just let you two get to know each other. If ya need us, we'll be over by the bar."

"Great..." The raven muttered, watching the pair snicker to one another before dashing away.

Cana heard the remark and frowned. Of course she heard him, he wasn't exactly being discreet. This new kid seemed rather uninterested in interacting with anyone, let alone her. The brunette wouldn't lie, she had been hoping that she'd get the chance to meet another wizard her age for a while now and had doubted that she ever would. What loving parent would let their child learn magic and run off into what could possibly be one of the most dangerous jobs on the continent? So this Gray kid must have some sort of story. Maybe he had lost his parents too? Then again, if that were true then it probably wasn't something he would talk about so casually. This only made Cana even more eager to talk to the boy. He seemed so unhappy. Maybe meeting someone who had had a similar experience to him would cheer him up. "So Gray, what magic do you use?"

 _Just great_ , Gray thought, in his head this time. He had hoped that the girl's shyness would make her more reluctant to speak to him, but he was dead wrong. Sure, he didn't want to start a conversation with this kid, but the fact that she was a guild wizard did peak his interest at least somewhat. Which one of these wizards were her mother and/or father? There was no one else here that really struck any resemblance to her. Maybe she was an orphan? It would explain why those two assholes introduced her instead of her parental figure. Maybe she was looking for someone to empathise with? Just his luck that she'd choose him. No matter how many times he'd tried to follow his path alone, people just couldn't stop showing up, could they? He'd suddenly realised that he'd yet to give an answer. He really didn't want to start up a conversation, but he was a decent human being. It would be rude to just pretend like she didn't even exist. "Nothing special. Ice-Make Magic. What about you?" _No Gray! Why? You could have just left the conversation there. Why'd you follow up with another question? Dammit!_ He screamed in his mind.

"Oh I use Card Magic," her smile broadened. "I can also tell fortunes. You want me to tell you yours?"

 _Just say no. Say no and you can be done with this little 'chat.'_ "Sure... I guess..." _Dammit Gray! This is why you keep getting stuck with weirdos. Stop being so nice!_

Cana set herself down opposite the raven. She pulled her card deck from her pocket and began shuffling them around in her hands. "Okay," she began, laying each card down on the table. "Pick a card."

Gray sighed and reluctantly turned over one of the many cards displayed in front of him. The scene showed a lone man with his back turned from eight golden cups. He glanced back up at the brunette, oblivious to the meaning, and frowned in confusion when he saw a look of both surprise and worry spread across her features.

"The Eight of Cups," she stated. "It's a card of change and transition. It stands for escapism, disappointment, abandonment and withdrawal. The man in the drawing was said to have left on a journey after experiencing unhappiness upon achieving all he has desired. The man found that achieving his goals was far less fulfilling that he would have wanted. He chose to leave his comfort zone in pursuit of a greater goal in life. Does that relate to you in any way?"

Gray shrugged. "Not even slightly," he dismissed, grunting and averting his eyes from the card. Memories of Deliora, Ur and Lyon flashed through his mind, that of which he rapidly discarded.

"Why don't you pick another one?" Cana suggested. "I'm sure it'll be more uplifting."

Sighing for a second time, the Ice Wizard flipped over a second card. This time, the image showed a man stood on a cliff side with a bag over his shoulder and a white flower in his hand. There was also a small white dog following the man. Once again, he looked up to Cana for any kind of reaction and saw her smiling with a kind of giddiness that Gray would have never imagined she had inside her from their initial introduction.

"The Fool," she grinned. "It stands for beginnings, spontaneity and a free spirit. The Fool is at the beginning of his journey, full of potential. The white rose in his hand represents purity and innocence. The white dog represents The Fool's guardian who will protect him throughout his journey and also push him to learn some valuable life lessons he will need to further progress in life. Sounds like a good card to me."

"Sounds like a bunch of crap to me," he grumbled in response.

"Ahh, so you two know each other," their tiny master approached. "I was hoping that you two would get along. How would you two like to go out on a job together?"

"Sure, what job is it?" Cana's smile only grew wider at the intriguing offer.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure I could handle it alone," Gray scoffed, turning away from Makarov's gaze.

The Guild Master rolled his eyes at the boy's stubbornness. "I'm sure you could Gray, but you're still new to the guild and not yet accustomed to how guild wizards work. Cana's had her fair share of experience and I can see that she would be delighted to work with you. It would be good for you both to get out there without having to take care of Macao or Wabaka because even I know that pair can be a pain in the ass to work with."

The raven sent Makarov a look that clearly said "I do not want to go on a job with her," to which he responded. "Well, I could always ask Laxus to take you out on your first job." He gestured over to his grandson and shook his head when he saw the blonde with his feet up on a table, music booming in his ears and lightning crackling through his fingertips as a warning.

Gray grimaced at the moody teen. "Okay fine, I'll go on this stupid job. What is it?"

"An elderly couple over in Shirotsume Town have lost their dog. Town folks have said they've seen him not so far from the mountain range. A simple job, but an adventure nonetheless."

The Ice Wizard groaned; not exactly an ideal first job, not to mention he had to spend it with that fortune loving brunette sat opposite him. At least he had one thought to keep him going; _the sooner I get this job over and done with the sooner Gramps will trust me with solo ones._ Makarov handed the flyer to the two kids and Gray's eyes nearly shot out of his head when he saw the reward money.

"One million Jewel!" The duo gasped.

"Evidently, the couple are quite the wealthy pair and their precious dog means a lot to them."

Cana's apprehension began wriggling its way to the surface. "Requests with this high a price can be pretty dangerous. Are you sure you're okay with us taking it?"

The Master paused for a moment of thought. "Well you're both capable wizards and Shirotsume has a good neighbourhood, not too far away either... But if you don't want it, I can always give it to..."

"Oh we want it," Gray butted in, greed glistening in his widened eyes.

"Great," Makarov smiled. "I'll inform the client and the pair of you can leave immediately."

The raven sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day and the two kids grabbed any essential items for their trip. Makarov stood by the doorway and waved the two off, praying that they wouldn't do anything that would grab the Magic Council's attention yet again.

* * *

Cana led the way of course; Gray didn't have the foggiest idea of where the hell they were going. He'd only been in Fiore for a few days so everything was still fairly foreign to him and he was actually missing his homeland more than he thought he would. The Ice Wizard had assumed that, considering the amount of bad memories that took place in Isvan, he wouldn't give a damn about leaving for the west. However, now that he thought more about it, he was really starting to miss the low temperatures and snowy atmosphere. Gray had honestly been excited when Makarov had mentioned the mountains, but considering this insane heat, he highly doubted it would be even remotely close to how he trained with Ur and Lyon. Just the thought of their names was almost enough to reduce him to tears... _Almost_. There was no way he was going to let himself cry whilst in the presence of a guild mate. Gray couldn't decide whether it was better or worse if someone he barely even knew caught sight of his pitiful state. So just as he had done since his travels began, he pushed his feeling to the deepest corners of his mind and focused his thoughts solely on the mission at hand. That was until...

"So Gray," Cana began, "Master said that you used to live in the Northern Continent. What was it like over there?"

Gray frowned before responding. "Umm... Yeah, it uhh... It snows a lot over there... Perfect for an Ice Wizard."

"Why'd you leave?"

His face dropped further. "I uhh... There aren't as many opportunities for wizards over there. The Western Countries are far better if you want to join a guild or get stronger."

"Do you miss it?"

"Do you always ask this many questions?" Gray growled in response.

"Sorry," Cana mumbled, fiddling with her hands again. "It's not every day you meet another kid wizard, y'know? Hanging round with those geezers can be a pain sometimes."

"Why don't we just focus on the job?" Gray dismissed as the duo once again fell into silence.

* * *

Shirotsume was far busier than Magnolia. The streets were lined with markets and crowds of people swerving amongst one another. _Definitely livelier than Isvan_ , Gray thought, recalling the near desolate market places they used to visit. _No!_ The raven screamed in his mind. _Stop thinking about Isvan! None of that matters anymore!_ The boy rubbed his temple before picking up his pace to catch up with his new guild mate. Cana was scanning the streets until her eyes fell upon a small, white cottage over in the far East of the village, not far from the mountain range. It was hard to believe they were the rich couple that had sent for them. Both wizards shuffled up to the door and banged the knocker against firm wood.

"Yes?" A petite elderly woman answered as she ever so slowly swung the door wide open.

"Hi," Cana gave the woman a cheery smile. "We're wizards from Fairy Tail responding to your request."

"Ah yes," the woman chimed. "I'm Angela Nakamura, do come in."

She ushered the duo into her living room where her beloved husband was enjoying a steaming mug of coffee whilst catching up on the latest news. Angela offered up some freshly baked cookies – that of which were graciously accepted – and began explaining her request.

"My darling Shiba Inu got lost on our walk around two days ago. My husband and I asked around town if anyone had seen him, but the only information we got was that someone had seen a dog run off into the mountains," she began tearing up as she continued. "I'd go out and search myself, but I'm not exactly in my prime anymore and there tend to be rather a lot of Vulcans over in the mountain range."

"You sure these kids can handle the job?" Her husband grumbled, raising an eyebrow at the two eight year olds. "Ain't exactly safe up there."

"Don't worry sir," Gray reassured with a hint of annoyance at the subtle insult. "We've handled far worse than Vulcans before."

"Oh how wonderful!" Angela beamed. "I'll have a fresh batch of cookies for when you return. Oh, I almost forgot our adorable puppy answers to Goro. I wish you the best of luck!"

* * *

After an agonising trek through a wildly overgrown forest, Cana and Gray had finally made it to the mountain range. In actuality, the journey hadn't lasted more than a few minutes, but the sheer awkward silence between the two young wizards was enough to make it feel like an eternity. It wasn't until they moved into a clearing that the brunette started up more light chatter.

"This is gonna be like searching for a nail in a hay stack," she huffed. "We'd have better luck finding a million Jewel."

"Well if we complete this job we'll have both," Gray chuckled dryly, scanning his surroundings and frowning at the lack of snow. "If you were a dog running away from home, where would you go?"

"Hmmm..." She pondered, joining Gray in his observation. "Well dogs have a good sense of smell. Maybe he smelled something strange in the mountains and went to find it?"

"Great," Gray sighed. "Now all we need is a dog to help us sniff out the other one."

"I don't think that'll be necessary," the girl grinned before ushering her raven haired companion over.

The Ice Wizard skidded over to her side to find, amongst the dried up mud, a set of small paw prints, trailing off further into the mountains.

"See," Cana grinned. "We'll find the dog in no time!"

Gray, on the other hand, wasn't so certain. "These things could be days old!" He exclaimed. "There's no telling where this damn mutt could be."

"You know with that kind of attitude you'll never make it far in a guild," Cana mocked. "Let's just follow the trail and see where it leads us." Without waiting for an answer, the Card Wizard set off in the pursuit of the furry creature.

Gray rolled his eyes before grudgingly following along the dirt trail in the hopes of completing this damned job as soon as possible.

* * *

Luck seemed to be on their side and the trail had led them around the perimeter of the mountain and towards the entrance of a cave. Cana pulled out a glowing card from her deck to use as a guide and the two delved into the dark chasm. There didn't appear to be anywhere for a dog to hide; the rocky walls were far apart, leaving a lot of open space for any animal to run freely. The occasional stone would crumple away from the walls and ceiling casing both wizards to go on high alert.

"You never know what's lurking inside a cave," Cana warned, to which Gray just rolled his eye. Did she think he was an idiot?

Suddenly, a harsh growl reverberated off the walls of the cave. Cana fumbled with her battle cards whilst Gray slammed his fist into his palm. The brunette's glowing card cast a dark shadow of the approaching enemy and sent chills down their spins. Whatever was headed their way, it was big. Both wizards remained still with bated breath, preparing for their foe to make its appearance. They were, however, completely stumped to see a small, white Shiba Inu running towards them as fast as his little legs could carry him. The mutt was barking like a mad man, as if it was desperately trying to relay some sort of news to the duo.

"Awww," Cana gawked, clasping her hands together. "He's cute!"

"Well I guess that's over and done with," Gray sighed with relief. "Let's get it home and collect our reward."

Just as the words fell from his mouth, the walls shook as a booming foot slammed down deeper inside the cave. The wizards instantly shot back into their battle stances whereas the dog dashed out of the cave and down the mountain range.

"So much for that," Gray hissed.

The stomping grew louder and louder until the pair could make out four shadowed figures. The brunette held up her light card and managed to unveil the small pack Vulcans rapidly approaching.

The Ice Wizard was completely baffled at the sight. "What the hell are those?!" He cried, his mouth agape.

"It's a Vulcan, idiot," Cana rolled her eyes. "Don't they have any of those up North?"

"Not that I know of," Gray pondered as the Vulcans drew ever closer.

"Pretty girl!" One of them proclaimed as the others chattered in agreement.

The Card Wizard bore a look of both disturbance and embarrassment before launching several cards their way. "Summon Lightning!" She'd managed to stun at least one of the creatures, but back-pedalled when a second one began stomping towards her with lust in its eyes, leaving Gray to handle the other two.

"Ice-Make: Battle Axe!" He roared, a thin, sharp slice of ice slashing towards the Vulcan. The force of the attack managed to push one beast back a step, but sadly not enough to do any physical damage. "What the hell?! Are these things made outta rock or something?!"

"They're mountain Vulcans!" Cana called over, dodging the oncoming attacks. "These guys are far more durable than forest Vulcans. Be careful!"

"Yeah yeah," the raven groaned, pulling up a shield to avoid being sucker-punched by his foes.

The two Fairy Tail wizards bounded left and right, ice and cards flying in every direction. Gray wouldn't lie; these beasts were tough and fast... But they were also extremely stupid. With a decent strategy, it wouldn't be too hard to overpower them. "Ice-Make: Ice Geyser!" The raven slammed his hands into the ground and huge chunks of ice sprung up from the cracks, chasing after the two Vulcans. Whilst they were distracted, Gray smirked to himself at his genius plan before once again pressing his palms against the ground. "Ice Floor!" The majority of their battle field was coated in a thin sheet of ice, sending both Vulcans sliding into a nearby wall and knocking a few chunks of rubble on their heads. "Well that wasn't too bad..." Gray sighed as he watched Cana knock out her opponents. _Now where the hell did that dog go?_ He thought. He glanced over to the entrance of the cave, hoping for any kind of indication of where the mutt had run off to. It was only when he heard an ear splitting scream from his guild mate that he shot his head back around.

"Let go of me you freak!" Cana cried as a stealthy fifth Vulcan held her in a death grip. The brunette struggled with all her might, but alas, she just couldn't break free.

"Cana!" Gray charged further into the cave, shooting several freezing lances towards the creature, making sure not to accidentally hit the Card Wizard it was keeping hostage.

Without warning, the beast reeled back and slammed his fist into the Ice Wizard's face and knocked him back towards the cave entrance. Gray's limp form crashed to the ground as he groaned in agony. _Damn_ , he forced a thought through his distorted mind. _This bastard is way tougher than rest_ _._ Unknown to him, the Vulcan had been gradually getting closer to where he lay in order to finish the job. Cana screamed and screamed for him to move, but no sound registered with the raven. Pain flared up in every muscle as the Vulcan crushed his fist into the boy's chest over and over.

"GET UP GRAY!" Cana continued to cry. "WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT SELF-RIGHTEOUS ATTITUDE YOU HAD BACK AT THE GUILD?! DON'T LET ME DOWN!"

The raven's eyes shot open at his guild mate's words, determination glistening in his jet black orbs. He crossed his arms over his head and roared "ICE-MAKE: LANCE!" But this time aiming straight for the Vulcan's arm joint. The force of the impact not only staggered the foe, but was also enough for Cana to find an opening to wriggle free. As soon as she was back on solid ground, she helped the Ice Wizard up on his feet and scanned him over for any serious injuries. "You okay?" She muttered, not daring to lower her guard a second time.

Gray just shrugged. "I'll walk it off on the way home." He gave her a quick smirk before the duo returned their attention to a rather aggravated Vulcan standing before them.

"You distract it," the boy instructed. "I'll strike when its guard's down."

"On it!" Cana grinned, whipping out several cards from her deck. Gray ran off into the shadows, leaving the Vulcan all to herself. "Hey, you big dumb animal," she called. "You want me? Then come get me."

The beast howled with excitement as it stomped her way, greed sparkling in its eyes. Just as it came within the girl's reach, Cana flicked a card down at its feet and watched that greed turn into plain confusion. The Vulcan squinted down at the card with a puzzled glare. Shouldn't it be doing something? Shrugging it off as a failed attack on her part, the Vulcan took one step over the card and reached out to grab her. It was at this point that Cana snapped her fingers and yelled "PRAYER'S FOUNTAIN!"

Before it could blink, the Vulcan was shot up to the rocky ceiling, being aggressively pushed by the flood of water spewing from the card. As the magic died down, gravity did its work and the creature was quick to crash land and create a small crater. Whilst it remained stunned, Gray took his opportunity to strike. The Ice Wizard charged forward and cried "ICE-MAKE: KNUCKLE!" Several solid fists of ice shot out of his hands and crashed down upon his opponent, striking it multiple times across its face and chest. When the magic eventually ceased, the Vulcan was out cold. Gray admired his handiwork before turning to his guild mate. "You okay?"

"Yeah..." She sighed in response. "You know we make a good team," she smiled.

"Shut up," the boy pouted, making towards the cave entrance. He couldn't deny that facing those beasts as a team was far more satisfying that fighting alone... And his ego wasn't that big; he knew now that he would have stood no chance without the brunette there to support him. Maybe this job wasn't quite as bad as he originally thought?

"We still need to go after that dog..." Cana groaned, failing to locate the pet.

"Well we better get to it. Oh," he turned to make eye contact with the Card Wizard. "If we're going to be team mates from now on, we need to set some ground rules." He quickly turned back and began descending the mountain range.

Cana watched as the raven skidded down the trail and grinned. _Yep_ , she thought. _He's definitely The Fool._

* * *

 **So whilst writing this chapter I may have forgotten that there actually are Vulcan's in Isvan. The three second clip of Lyon watching Vulcans during Gray's flashback kinda slipped my mind. :p**

 **Updates will be every Saturday (if I can remember) so I'll see you all next week!**

 **Buh-bye!**


	2. A Warrior's Tears

**Here I am back with another chapter. So far so good for consistency. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own it still...**

* * *

It had been roughly two years since Gray had joined Fairy Tail and things in life had actually started looking up for the young hero. After reluctantly forming a partnership with Cana Alberona, he actually began adapting to the Western Continent's way of life. Sure, there was the intense summer heat that made the Ice Wizard want to curl up inside a freezer until autumn, but the winters were truly amazing. The crystal white snow gave him a sad sense of nostalgia, thinking back to the times he spent training alongside Lyon, not to mention their overly aggressive snowball fights. The brunette had been quick to cheer up his glum mood when she dragged him out into the mountains surrounding Magnolia to go sledding. In all honesty, Gray never really thought he could have fun again, but the amount of times he'd smiled in the past two years was unbelievable! Speaking of smiling, going out on jobs, whether it was with Cana or not – as Makarov had finally been convinced after one year that Gray was more than ready to take it solo – made him absolutely giddy. He'd be practically jumping for joy on the train ride over to his client. And the rewards were incredible! He didn't exactly have the best living arrangements right now; he wouldn't consider an abandoned church just outside the city to be a decent home, but it wasn't like he was actually spending much time at his residence. The majority of his day was spent in the guild hall. Arguing with Macao and Wakaba, having another fortune reading, or even chatting to Makarov about his latest job. There was always something to keep the young wizard occupied.

* * *

Recently, a new young wizard had joined Fairy Tail's ranks and Gray was not happy about it. She was about a year older than him and went by the name Erza Scarlet. The red-head was quite a mysterious girl to say the least, masking one eye with a white patch and hiding her chest behind thick metallic armour. Gray was never a fan of change – that much was clear – so having yet another person to get used to wasn't exactly ideal... And it didn't help that the first time the pair had ever interacted Erza had so rudely commented on his not so subtle stripping habit. Ever since then, there had been a flurry of fights breaking out between the pair... Erza won of course, and that only made Gray even more pissed. So much so that he devoted days to intense training, completely rejecting any requests that Cana offered up. The brunette had approached him multiple times, telling him over and over to take a break and relax. But as you would expect, Gray did not quit. He was going to beat Erza, he just had to. There was no way he was just going to let some girl turn up one day and humiliate him in front of his guild mates without getting his revenge.

* * *

"Gray!" Cana called from their usual table. "Lemme tell you your fortune!"

The Ice Wizard rolled his eyes. Ideally, he'd wanted to go and challenge Erza to another fight, but from the looks of things, the new wizard was just on her way out to a job. There was no way he'd be able to fit in both. Sighing with a hint of annoyance, the raven trudged over to the Card Wizard and slumped down opposite her. _Erza will be back later_ , he thought as he watched a very eager Cana shuffle through her deck.

"Okay," she smiled, putting the final card in place. "Pick one."

As per usual, Gray just selected any random card that called out to him and turned it over. "Cana it's the same card as I always get. You sure this game isn't rigged?"

"How many times do I have to tell you, it's not a game?!" She pouted. "There must be a reason you keep getting 'The Fool' card. All it's telling you is that there's going to be a big change to your life in the near future. Maybe that change just hasn't come yet or something. The cards never lie Gray."

He huffed.

"Why don't you take another one then?"

Rolling his eyes once again, the raven selected his second card. "Well what's this one then?"

"Ooooooh," Cana's smiled broadened. "The Three of Cups. It stands for celebration, friendship, creativity and community. The three maidens on the cards reach their arms up and is a symbol of their friendship. At the maidens' feet are flowers that symbolise joy, beauty, compassion and growth. The flowers are there to remind us of the good times in life, but only if we open up to its presence. You know what this means?"

"What?" Gray mumbled, only half listening.

"It means that a new bond will be formed in the coming future."

 _Oh great..._ Gray grumbled to himself. _Don't tell me we're getting another guild member? Aren't these assholes enough?_ Okay, Gray would admit that Cana wasn't so bad, but he still had beef with Macao and Wakaba... And especially Erza. He hadn't even managed to beat her yet. Gray only hoped that his team mate was wrong. It was just a stupid fortune telling. There was no way it was accurate.

"Okay, well if we're done here, I'm off to train," he dismissed, rising from the bench.

"Ooooooh, can I come?" The girl pleaded. "I got some new battling cards that I want to try out."

"Sure," Gray shrugged, already halfway across the room by this point. He had to beat Erza, he just had to!

* * *

That evening, after an extensive training session, Gray charged out of the guild hall in pursuit of his scarlet-haired opponent. It didn't take too long to find her either. Pretty much all of their fights thus far had taken place either at the guild or by the riverbed and this evening was no exception. What was unusual though was that it was usually Erza who came looking for Gray before he initiated the battle. Somehow today Erza had been sat ready and waiting for the Ice Wizard's arrival. Maybe she'd had a feeling that tonight would be the night Gray would finally outmatch her and prove his strength and was preparing herself for failure? However many scenarios the raven came up within his mind, none of them prepared him for what was about to happen.

There was no particular reason Erza was in a depressive mood that evening. It was proving to be too difficult to adjust to the sudden change in her life. It wasn't as if she wasn't grateful for this new change, it was just so overwhelming for the poor red-head. She had been in slavery for what felt like an eternity – though in reality it had only been around one year – and to suddenly have so much freedom, she didn't know where she fit into it all. Of course, it wasn't helping to have the fate of her friends weighing down as a constant reminder that she would never truly be free. The Requip Wizard brought a single hand up to her face and traced where her eye used to be, grimacing when she felt the sickening indent on her skin. The thought of it all couldn't help but bring tears to her only functioning eye.

This was it! This was finally his moment to defeat Erza once and for all. He could just creep up behind her and knock her out – that would technically be a victory – but that would take all the satisfaction out of it. Gray wanted to see the dismay in her face when he tackled her, to hear her voice quiver as she admits defeat at the hands of the almighty Gray-Sama. And so, he charged. "Alright Erza, bring it on!" He roared as he skidded down the hill to the waterside. "You're the one going down this time!" He watched as the red-head slowly turned to face him, bracing himself for whatever attack she threw his way. However, this particular attack was something Gray was incredibly weak to...

 _Tears_

The floodgates had opened for Erza, a glimmering trail of tears sliding down her left cheek. Gray instantly halted in his tracks, eyes gaping at the sight. Was Erza, _the_ Erza, actually showing some signs of emotion? Impossible, right? The raven backtracked as his face turned a flushed red. He opened his mouth to initiate some sort of conversation, but no words managed to come out.

"It's you again," Erza quickly regained her composure and pushed herself off the ground. She rapidly wiped away her tears, though she knew that it was practically pointless at this point. "What is it with you? Haven't you learned your lesson? Alright, give me your best shot."

"Uhh... Well... Uhh..."

"What's the matter? You're not chickening out are you?"

Gray sighed, his drive for a fight washing away with the river. "Tell me something. How come you're alone all the time?"

The words struck Erza like a baseball bat. "I prefer to be alone," she mumbled, averting her gaze from the Ice Wizard. "Because I get nervous around other people."

"Oh yeah? Well you're alone now, so why're you crying?"

A heavy silence weighed between the two, both taking a moment to let those words sink in. Gray had honestly been surprised that he'd said that. The words just kind of formed on their own. Normally, he would have agreed that there was no better company that your own, but now it just felt so wrong. Even the thought left a bad taste in his mouth. He watched Erza's expression change from one of shock to a more saddened, understanding frown. There was clearly some history behind those scars, if it wasn't obvious enough already. Gritting his teeth, Gray strode over to the girl's side and dropped into a sitting position, feeling a mixture of hatred and sympathy. Why did this god forsaken world have to be such a bitch?!

"So you're not going to fight me today?" Erza remarked, surprising herself when a small smile formed.

"Well it's my choice!" Gray yelled, defensively.

The pair remained in silence after that, so they just stared out into the river, watching the azure stream flow across Magnolia. Both were more than content to leave the conversation at that, but for some reason the raven felt inclined to say something. Not something big, just some words of advice or reassurance. Erza had had a look of pain and torture in her eye since day one. Gray knew that look; he was met with that look every time he looked in a mirror. There was clearly some story that Erza wanted to leave behind in the shadows of her past, but sitting alone at sunset and crying was definitely not the way to go about that.

"You shouldn't suffer alone Erza, it doesn't do anyone any good," Gray mumbled. He was thankful that Cana wasn't around or he would have just sounded like the biggest hypocrite in all of Fiore.

Erza's smile dropped. "Is that what you do?"

"Not really..." He chuckled, thinking back to his first days with the guild. "But I've found that no matter how hard you try to avoid it, people will just keep coming into your life and offer help. You can try and turn it down, but trust me; they'll find a way to get through to you."

The mini-speech brought tears to her eye, but this time they weren't necessarily tears of sadness but ones of gratitude. The red-head was honestly surprised that this stubborn, reckless brat could have a softer and more supportive side. The girl pulled on her sleeve to once again wipe away the tear tracks stringing down her face. "You know, you're not as bad as I thought Gray."

"Guess I'll take that as a compliment," he rolled his eyes, chuckling again. "We should probably head back to the guild. You didn't turn up after you finished your job. Grams will worry like hell if you don't let him know that you're home safe." He shoved himself off the ground and began making his way back up the grassy slope when he paused. "Are you coming or are you gonna completely disregard everything I just said?"

Erza couldn't help but crack a smile at that. This was the Gray she was more familiar with. "Yeah... Let's go."

* * *

The following day was just like any other day at Fairy Tail. People were drinking, laughing and generally having a good time. Gray and Cana were sat at the usual table munching away on breakfast when the Ice Wizard sparked up a little chat.

"Well looks like that little fortune you gave me yesterday didn't come true did it? No new members, no 'new bonds being formed.' I told you those things aren't accurate."

"The cards don't lie Gray, how many times do I have to tell you!"

This argument, like any other of their disagreements, could have spanned over days. If it wasn't for Erza slowly approaching them, the duo would have probably ended up in a full blown magic fight.

"Hey..." She fumbled around with her skirt to distract herself from their puzzled gazes. "Do you guys mind if I sit with you?"

"Not at all," Cana smiled, gesturing to the seat next to Gray. "Gray was just saying how he doesn't believe in fortunes."

"Because they're never accurate!" He retorted before turning to Erza. "The other day she gave a fortune saying that it would be my lucky day. You wanna know what happened?" He didn't even bother waiting for confirmation. "I fell in a ditch and lost my wallet. Wouldn't exactly call that lucky."

The Requip Wizard sat and watched the pair battle it out once again, but was stunned into silence when they seemingly wanted her opinion.

"Well... Why don't you give me a fortune telling and then I'll decided whether they work or not."

"Don't waste your time," Gray complained, despite Cana's hurt expression. "You'll probably just pick 'The Fool' card. I swear she has like fifty of them in there."

"Oh please," Cana laughed. "No one is a bigger fool than you are. In more ways than one!" Both girls giggled upon seeing the betrayed look on the boys face.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

Cana shrugged. "You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

 **Whoooo! Another chapter done. Just a pre-warning, next chapter's gonna be a long one so be prepared! ;)**

 **See ya in the next one!**


	3. A Lion's Roar

**Here's the longest thing I've ever written for a single chapter. I honestly never intended it to be this long, but ahh well. :p Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own it.**

* * *

Five years flew by without a second thought. Gray could barely believe how much the guild had changed. For starts, there were a lot more kids his age roaming the halls. So much so that it made him miss the good old days when it was only him and Cana ruling the guild. Now there was Elfman and that stupid flame-brain running amuck and it annoyed the Ice Wizard to no end. He wouldn't lie, Gray had no issue with Levy or Lisanna, but other than that there wasn't really anyone he didn't have a desire to punch. New rivalries had been formed. Erza and Mira were known for locking heads every now and then, resulting in every wizard taking cover. Speaking of taking cover, most of the guild members were currently hiding out in the far corners of the guild hall. Why? Natsu had just returned from a job with a bag full of cash and an explosion of ego. There was no way Gray could have resisted punching his godforsaken face. Everything about the pinkette just pissed him off. From that stupid Lost Magic of his down to his odd fashion choice. Seriously, who wears a vest and sandals with a scarf? Then again, he wasn't one to talk.

"Gray the least you could do it put some damn pants on!" Cana roared from the bar.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Gray shrugged her off. This was a usual occurrence now. Cana was always the one to point out when he lacked in garments, anyone else (bar Erza of course) just felt too uncomfortable doing so.

Speaking of the red-haired devil, she was just returning from another job well done. And she was not happy with the sight she was met with. "NATSU, GRAY, ARE YOU TWO FIGHTING AGAIN?!" Her voice boomed through the walls, sending chills down everyone's spines.

Both teens instantly panicked and threw their arms around one another. "N-no Erza," Gray mustered, forcing a smile through the gallons of sweat that was now running down his face. "We were just uhh... Training. Right Natsu?"

"A-aye!" The Happy copycat chimed.

Erza gave them both a sceptical glance before ushering them both back to their tables. Other guild members took a sigh of relief. The fighting was finally over... Well for now at least.

"You do realise that as long as Erza's around, you two will never get away with anything?" Cana teased, swigging yet another pint of booze.

"Doesn't mean I won't try," Gray shot her his signature grin before grabbing his own beverage and chugging it down.

"Wanna go on a job?" The brunette suggested. "It's been a while since we've done any serious team work, plus I'm low on cash."

"Gee, I wonder why?" Gray sniggered, gesturing to the empty barrel behind her.

"Shut up..."

"Well, while you sober up, I'll go find us a decent job," rolling his eyes, the raven rose up once again and shuffled his way through the property damage until he came face to face with the request board. As per usual, the requests were overflowing with all kinds of jobs. It seemed that Fairy Tail were most clients' first choice business wise, which was surprising since most of the wizards hired would end up losing money upon completing their job. Luckily, there seemed to be one job that stuck out from the rest.

"Defeat the group of bandits hiding out in the forest. 600,000 Jewel. Wow, decent money!" Gray chimed, snagging the sheet off the board and skidding back over to his brunette partner.

"Quick, pick a card!" Cana indicated upon his arrival. The Wizard's signature deck of cards had been shuffled and placed across the table in an orderly fashion.

"No way!" Gray protested. "Your little games are rigged as shit! C'mon, grab your things. I found a good job for us, not too far away either."

"Alright alright, I'm coming," Cana whined. "But hypothetically, if you were going to pick a card, which would you pick?"

Gray sighed; arguing was futile at this point. "Fourth from the left." He rolled his eyes and made his way for the door.

Cana remained behind for a moment to gather up her cards. As she turned over Gray's selection, she gave a satisfied grin upon seeing the ever popular 'Fool' card present itself. "Glad to know nothing's changed," she chuckled before packing away the rest of her cards and dashing off after the Ice Wizard.

* * *

The duo was trudging through a forest not far from Blue Pegasus' home town. Upon their arrival, the Fairy Tail wizards had been rather confused as to why their client hadn't gone to a closer guild, though Cana had insisted that it was due to the guild's not-so-perfect reputation with male clients. From Sorcerer Weekly's rumours, the majority of Blue Pegasus' Wizards were "lady's men" bar for a fair few female wizards - and that total had shrunk quite recently. The news of Karen Lilica's death had shot straight to headlines, devastating their members. Gray could only assume that they were too busy mourning the loss to even think about work; it would explain the overflowing requests back home.

"Okay so," Cana began, "according to the request, the bandits should be somewhere near here."

"Any idea where to start looking?"

"Absolutely not..." She sighed.

After mulling their options, the two wizards eventually decided to split up. Cana had equipped Gray with one of her emergency communication cards in case they happen upon their target. The Ice Wizard traipsed along the beaten path, wary of any twigs or branches that could knock him off his feet. The crisp leaves coated the air and blocked the majority of the sky; only a few specks of sunlight were able to pass through the blanket of green. He had searched for what felt like an eternity – whereas in reality it had only been about thirty minutes – so he spun himself around and began retracing his steps. He managed to travel about half the way back to his starting point when a strange blaring noise resonated from his pocket. It took Gray a moment until it finally clicked in his mind. _Crap!_ He thought. _Cana!_ He sprung into a sprint as his fumbled with his pocket until he pulled out the emergency card. A chibi version of the brunette was printed on with a blinking arrow to direct him to her location. _Hold on Cana_ , he thought. _I'm coming!_

* * *

It was quiet... A little too quiet for Cana's liking. There was no way these bandits would be able to camp out in these woods. The trees and bushes covering the area did prove as the perfect hiding place, but the terrain was so jagged and rough that it would be practically impossible to set up any kind of living arrangements, even if only temporary. It would also be ridiculously easy to get yourself lost within the sea of foliage. Everything just looked the same. If it weren't for Cana's tracking cards, she was certain that they'd never see the light of day again, and if they were having trouble then the bandits would defiantly be struggling. Thieves and con artists were never known to be intelligent, and Cana was sure these people were no exception. Sighing with annoyance, she decided to turn back and retrace her steps back to Gray – it was far too boring searching alone and she'd run out of booze to keep her company – when...

"Ooooooh, what do we have here?" A voice provoked from the rustling bushes. "A young lady has strayed too far from home?"

"'Bout time these assholes presented themselves," said lady grumbled, discarding her empty canteen. "Alright, which one of you first?"

It was only then that the brunette realised she was completely surrounded. _Crap_ , she thought. _I'm too drunk for this shit_. Cana shot several cards out towards her many opponents as they charged her way. Lightning crackled and water spew through the forest air, yet nothing seemed to be doing any direct damage to the bandits. Was she even hitting them? At this point, Cana was far too drunk to even care. Gray should have picked up on the disturbance and arrive any second now, right? That's what the Card Wizard had assumed as she focused all her energy into dodging swords and daggers being pressed towards her by the enemy. It wasn't long until the damn bandits got the jump on the brunette and knocked her on her back. One of the bulkier males pinned her down to the ground and restricted her from any kind of movement, not that she'd know what to do with that alcohol brain of hers.

"What d'ya say boys?" He taunted. "Do we kill her now? Or maybe we should put her to good use over at the base."

"Gray, now would be the perfect time to come and save my ass," Cana groaned, scanning her blurred field of vision for any sign of that raven mop of hair.

"Kill her it is!" The man pinning her down swung his sword towards the brunette's neck and time seemed to slow. Cana watched the blade with bated breath as it tore through the air and grew closer to her form. Just as it was mere inches from her neck, a rough fist slammed into the man's face and sent him flying into the bushes.

"It's about time..." Cana muttered, though she came to an instant halt upon seeing the teen's features. This wasn't Gray. The male before her had a small cut of ginger hair and hazel eyes covered by a pair of glasses. Rings of a variety of colours adorned his fingers, one glowing with a green hue.

"Hey man," the stranger taunted. "That's no way to treat a lady."

"You're picking a fight with the wrong people asshole," one bandit snarled, readying his weapon.

"Oh is that so?" The ginger wizard retaliated.

Before Cana had a chance to blink, the man's fist once again collided with the bandits face, knocking his back into a tree trunk. This time, his allies actually came to his aid and the stranger was quickly surrounded. That didn't stop him, however. He twisted the rings on his fingers as brightly coloured lights illuminated the forest floor. Punches and kicks were thrown and this Ring Wizard (Cana assumed at least) was acting as if this was just second nature to him. _Just how strong is this guy?_ She pondered, so infatuated by the fight that she didn't even think to help out. It wasn't until she caught sight of the familiar ice of her foolish partner that reality crashed back down and she rapidly pulled out her cards to offer her support. With all three wizards working side-by-side, it didn't take long for the bandits to be wiped out. The group all took a moment to admire their handiwork before Gray and Cana called up the village mayor to dispose of the littering of unconscious bodies. With everything well and truly sorted, it was finally time to discuss the elephant in the room.

"Cana, you okay?" Gray pressed for probably the fifth time since he'd shown up. The Ice Wizard felt all kinds of guilt for showing up late to the fight, if it weren't for this mysterious wizard, he would have had yet another death on his already bloody hands.

"For god's sake Gray I'm fine, quit worrying," the brunette rolled her eyes. "Thanks for helping us out... Uhh... What was your name again?"

"It's uhh..." The ginger male stuttered. An awkward silence settled between the trio as he desperately thought up a response. "Loke... I'm Loke."

"You sure about that?" Cana teased, picking up on his more than obvious uncertainty.

"Ignore her," Gray waved his arm over to Cana, initiating her to silence. "That's some nice magic you got there."

"I could say the same thing to you," Loke praised. "How'd you learn?"

The raven paused for a small moment, a remorseful look flashed through his eyes, if only for a second before it faded once again. "Let's just say I had an excellent teacher... You?"

"Passed down through the family..." Loke responded, though his hesitation did not go amiss.

"So what's someone like you doing wandering around the forest?" Cana questioned. "I don't see a guild mark on you. You a freelance wizard?"

"Kinda..." Loke shrugged. "I used to be a member of Blue Pegasus but..." Gray saw a quick flash through his eyes of a similar guilt he'd seen in his own before he continued. "Things happened that resulted in me leaving the guild. I was actually travelling over to Magnolia. Master Bob thought that it would be in my best interests to give Fairy Tail a looking at."

"Heh, must be your lucky day," Cana joked.

"If it wasn't obvious already," Gray gestured to their more than visible guild marks. "We're both from Fairy Tail. We're actually about to travel back over to the guild if you want to join us."

"Hey..." Cana muttered, scowling over to her partner.

"You sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all."

And with that the trio went on their not-so-merry-way. Cana kept her suspicious gaze on their new 'companion' until she felt a familiar pair of black eyes boring into her side.

"Don't gimme that look," she grumbled, being wary of the volume of her voice. "I'm just surprised as hell that you of all people offered to bring him to the guild. You're usually the skeptic one of us. How can you be so quick to trust him? You actually believe that bullshit he was spurting?"

"Absolutely... Not," Gray rolled his eyes. "You saw his hesitation, there's definitely something up with this guy. But if he's specifically signalling out Fairy Tail we can't just let him walk away from us. Plus there's no way he could take on the two of us, let alone the whole guild. If there's more of him Gramps'll wanna know about it."

"Ahh, I see," Cana smirked. "Playing the Oblivious Fool. I like it."

"Okay when are you gonna stop with that "Fool" nonsense? It's getting annoying."

 _Maybe when you stop playing the Oblivious Fool_ , Cana chuckled to herself as the duo caught up with their 'friend.'

* * *

It must have been at least two hours since Makarov and 'Loke' had disappeared into the Master's office, leaving the pair with an onslaught of questions from their guild mates.

"Is he joining our guild?" One asked.

"Can we really trust him?" Another speculated.

"How'd you guys find him?" Someone wondered.

"When do I get to fight him?!" Natsu roared.

Gray and Cana had both silently agreed to keep their mouths shut regarding their suspicions towards the ginger as not to start an uproar. There was still the slightest possibility that Loke was just an innocent wizard looking for work. They had, of course, hinted to the Master on their hunch, to which they received an understanding look before the pair had retreated to his office. The surrounding guild members eventually gave up and returned back to their own table to reengage in whatever activity they were previously partaking in. It wasn't until at least another hour later that Makarov and Loke finally emerged from the office and approached their usual table. The Ring Wizard remained on the sidelines, fumbling away with the many rings adorning his fingers. The old man hopped up onto the table and lowered his voice. "Alright you two," he began, "I can't explain the circumstances but we can trust Loke. You two both should understand why he isn't comfortable explaining himself to strangers so I beg that you will make him feel welcome. I hope this isn't asking too much of you two, but would you mind taking him out on a job to help him get accustomed to how we work here in Fairy Tail?"

"It can't be that different from other guilds, can it?" Gray raised an eyebrow, not entirely thrilled about having another person to put up with. Sure, Cana was perfectly fine now, but how long had it taken the two of them to start getting along? Just imagine what it was going to be like this time round.

Makarov ushered Loke forward, who had seemingly already picked out a job request.

"There's a thief steeling Jewel's and booze from bars all over the country. Your job is to find him and turn him in. The reward money is fairly decent, plus as many drinks as you want on the house. This should be right up your alley, Cana." The Master winked and grinned at the Card Wizard as she fantasised of the endless possible combinations she could make to see how fast she could get wasted.

"Alright," Gray caved. "We'll do it."

"Great, train should be leaving soon; I'd hurry if I were you." The tiny master leapt off the table and wandered over to the bar for, surprisingly, his first drink of the day.

Loke crumpled the job request around in his palms before awkwardly making eye contact with the raven teen. "Look you don't have to go on this job with me if you don't want to. You have every right to be suspicious of me; I didn't exactly give off the best first impression. I know how guilds work so it's cool if you wanna stay here."

"Nah we need the money," Cana slurred. "Plus we need to get a better look at your power level so we can see where you stand against the rest of the guild."

"I'm sorry?"

Gray chuckled at his drunken team mate. "Cana and I have been in the guild longer than the others, at least from our generation. Every time someone new joined the guild we'd give them a ranking based on their power levels. It especially helps when some assholes show up boasting about how strong they are only for us to put them in their place."

"You see," Cana smirked evilly. "You say that, but you've never actually beaten Natsu have you?"

A vain bulged from Gray's forehead. "Well I've never lost to him either."

"What about Erza?"

"Whatever..."

Loke raised a bemused eyebrow at the duo; they were a strange pair indeed. "Well, if you're sure, I'm not gonna say no to some assistance."

"Good," Gray folded his arms. "Now let's get going before I change my mind," he glanced over to Cana as the both heard the annoying shouts from a certain flame-brained idiot. Looks like yet another fight was about to begin.

All three wizards scurried out of the guild hall – not before the raven slammed his fist into his rival's jaw a few times – and dashed over to the train station. It was a miracle in itself that they hadn't missed their train, and after buying a few snacks for their journey, the team were good and settled in the middle train carriage.

"So does that happen a lot?" Loke eventually spoke up after a fairly awkward silence... Or at least he thought it was.

"What, the fighting?" Cana leaned back in her chair. "At least several times a day... Everyone's got their own rival to fight and usually if one pair starts, the rest will join in."

"And I'll take it that pink-haired guy is your rival?" Loke asked, nodding to Gray.

"That obvious?" He chuckled.

"Who's your rival then?" The ginger turned to the brunette.

"Hey that's for me to know and you to find out... In due time my friend," she cracked open yet another bottle of alcohol and chugged it all down in one fell swoop.

Loke stared at the duo with a mixture of confusion and concern. Something had been bothering him for a while now and if he didn't say anything, it was only gonna get a whole lot more awkward. "So uhh... If you don't mind me mentioning... You two... You seem to have a... Lack of clothing."

Cana's face instantly creased into a smile and she gave the newbie a flirtatious wink. "Eyes up here, dude."

Gray's reaction was more of surprise and annoyance. "Shit, when'd that happen?"

"You've been shirtless for almost two hours now, you fool."

"Would you stop?!" The male playfully punched his partner.

The three then fell back into a more content silence. Cana had nodded off, hoping that a quick power nap would sober her up in time for the job, and her head lolled onto Gray's shoulder. Said raven didn't seem fazed at all by the gesture and mainly put his attention into sight-seeing. It was definitely odd seeing this side of the two wizards. From what Loke had already gathered, the two were of a more sardonic nature. They gave him a 'too cool for school' kind of vibe. To see this softer side, however slight it was, was strange to say the least. Maybe there was more to the pair than he'd initially thought?

* * *

"Okay..." Cana mumbled as the trio strolled down the streets of the town a few hours later. "So apparently, these thieves' next target is going to be the Purple Cave Bar in the west part of town."

"So what's the plan?" Loke inquired. "Hide amongst the shadows until the thieves make their move or track them down before they have a chance?"

"I think," Cana grinned. "I think we should have a drink."

Loke stared at the brunette in bewilderment. He turned to Gray, waiting for him to laugh or dismiss her comment, but all he saw was the raven nodding in agreement. What were these two thinking? "You're joking right? I don't think drinking before a fight would be a good idea."

"Oh relax," Gray chuckled. "We're not going to get drunk." He glanced over to their female companion and face palmed when he saw her already chugging down the extra beer she'd packed for their travels. "Well... _We_ won't. Going undercover as some innocent bystanders is probably the best way to approach the situation. We need to catch them in the act before we approach the thieves or it'll just look like guild wizards attacking harmless townsfolk. Plus, it will give us time to inform the bar tender of the possible threat."

Loke had to admit, that wasn't a bad idea. These guys were smarter than they looked, and considering they were both half naked out in public, it wasn't exactly hard. So when the moon finally rose into the glistening sky, the team made their move.

* * *

The doors to the bar slid open; it was clearly beyond its time when it came to technology. Lights of different colours flared in every direction with music booming away through the loud speakers. This place seemed to be more club-like rather than your typical bar, but Loke wasn't one to complain. The ground floor was mainly used for the bar top and people mingling on the dance floor, whereas a second floor appeared to have been recently added to give more open space to sit and eat.

"It's like a futuristic Fairy Tail," Cana snickered over to Gray who rolled his eyes and chuckled in response.

"Alright, Loke and I will blend in with the crowds, Cana; can you go talk up the bar tender?" Gray instructed.

"Can I? Piece of cake," the brunette waved off her male team mates before doing a flirtatious stride over to the bar, her mind already muddling over what drink to buy.

The Ice Wizard made towards an empty table but just as he took a single step, a firm hand met his shoulder, halting him in his tracks.

"Hey," Loke murmured, keeping his voice low. "There's two girls sat over there. Let's go sit with them."

"And do what? We didn't come here to pick up chicks, idiot."

"We'll look less suspicious that way. If we wanna take this thief by surprise we should hide amongst the crowds and act as natural as possible. And hey," Loke winked. "I can always be your wingman if you're too shy."

"Shut up," Gray batted the ginger's hand away before grudgingly following him over to the table of girls.

These two young ladies, seemingly of a similar age, both had long jet black hair that could easily rival Gray's raven locks. They were both of the same height and had near identical facial features. The only difference the two had was their clothing. Whilst they both shared the same design of a short-skirted, sleeveless dress, one girl wore a dark crimson shade of red whilst the other wore a lighter teal coloured one.

"Hello ladies," Loke greeted, lowering his glasses slightly and earning some strange look from his team mate and both girls.

"Hmph... Whatever," the sisters huffed simultaneously before pushing themselves out of their seats and moving over to the stairway.

"Smooth," Gray rolled his eyes as the duo plopped themselves down in the now vacant seats.

A tense silence arose amongst the table, both males waiting for any sort of suspicious activity. Neither could bring themselves to indulge in some awkward small talk so the wizards just sat there, not making eye contact, not saying a word. The raven had been mulling something over in his mind ever since he met this mysterious Ring Wizard, yet he just couldn't muster the courage to ask. It wasn't exactly his place to know and he definitely didn't want to dig up any skeletons from his past. Then again... Tough love was always an option. It always worked with Cana; maybe he should just give it a shot? Okay, he thought. It's now or never. "So uhh... What made you leave Blue Pegasus?"

"Oh uhh..." Loke stammered. "No reason really, just thought it was time to start somewhere new."

"Really?" Gray raised an eyebrow, yet kept up his solemn demeanour. "It doesn't have to do with the tragic passing of a Karen Lilica?"

"Why would you think that?" Loke was quick to respond.

"Because I'm not an oblivious fool, despite what Cana might say. When we first met you, I saw it in your eyes. Remorse, guilt, regret. I'm not asking for a full blown confession but..." How could be put this lightly? "Everyone in Fairy Tail has their own story. Natsu, Erza, heck even Laxus. That's what makes us such a good guild, y'know? In some way, everyone can relate to what we're going through and pretty much knows exactly what to do to make us feel better. Whether it's breaking out into a brawl or going out for a drink or two. And hey, if you're not comfortable getting all emotional on your guild mates there always Gramps. He'll always have some words of wisdom to deliver." Gray was honestly impressed with that little speech of his. Maybe his past experiences were good for something after all?

"Master Bob said something similar," Loke gave a sad smile. "He said that Makarov hit a rough patch in his life when he was a kid, which is what drove him to start taking in a bunch of innocent kids looking to get their lives back on track... Though Sorcerer Weekly would say otherwise..."

"Please, that shitty magazine doesn't give the old geezer enough credit. There was one time..."

The two acquaintances continued talking into the night, almost completely forgetting that they were out here to work. They were honestly having more fun they'd had in a long while, forgetting about their past troubles and just enjoying the here and now. Little did they know that their supposedly hammered friend had her ears perked the entire time and heard their full conversation. "Maybe he's not as much of a fool as I thought..." Cana mumbled to herself before ordering another drink.

* * *

It had been two hours and still no sign of the thieves; maybe their client had it wrong? However, the night was still young for Cana as she ordered her... Well she'd lost track of how much she'd had to drink an hour and a half ago. A fresh mug of booze was slammed down on the bar and the drunken brunette lifted her gaze to slur a thank you. When she met the bar tenders eyes, she raised an eyebrow in confusion. This man had short black hair with a thick beard and moustache. He was wearing a black waistcoat that made his blood red tie stand out. She could have sworn someone else had been serving her beforehand.

"Aren't you a little young to be in here, missy?" He grunted, leaning down to her level.

The teen wizard scanned his appearance and managed to catch a small name tag he'd so obviously attempted to hide. "Aren't you a little old to have a name like Junior?"

"Clever," he gave her a sardonic smile.

Cana continued to stare at the man quizzically. She was almost positive that someone else had been serving her beforehand. Upon further inspection, she noticed a red mark peeking out from the man's crisp white collar, a mark far too suspicious to be just your ordinary tattoo. Instantly sobering up, the Card Wizard rapidly scanned the room for anyone possessing a similar pattern somewhere visible. Her eyes eventually landed on a very awkward looking boy, whom looked to be no older than fifteen, fiddling with his black suit and yanking off his gloves in discomfort. Big mistake on his part. Right there stamped on his left hand was a black wolf head with three claw marks slicing through the image.

 _This place is home to a dark guild_ , Cana thought, regaining her composure and returning to her casual drunken demeanour. _Damn, was this whole job a set up_ _?_

"So you got a name, Sweetheart?"

"Yes Junior, I've got several," Cana teased as the man strolled out from behind the bar and leaned back on the table top next to her. "But instead of Sweetheart, you can just call me Sir." She hastily grabbed a hold of the man's nether regions and squeezed her fist as tightly as she could, causing a world of pain for the man. "The job requesting a wizard to capture a band of thieves targeting pubs, it was all a lie, wasn't it?"

It was at this point that Gray and Loke rose from their seats, confusion striking their faces. What the hell was Cana up to? Just as the duo we're prepared to take a step towards their team mate, the two seemingly uninterested girls from before reappeared and blocked their path.

"Tell me the damn truth and I'll consider letting you go," the brunette continued, giving the bar tender a sadistic grin.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I swear!" The man grunted through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me?" Her grip tightened.

"I swear, sir!"

Many of the suited 'civilians' had picked up on the disturbance and had gathered round the bar preparing to strike the girl at any given moment.

"Hmm, looks like we have an audience. This must be kind of embarrassing for you, huh? Awkward!"

"Listen Missy... Sir... If you wanna make it out of this place alive... Then I suggest you let me go... Now!"

Cana sighed in annoyance, growing bored of this man's shenanigans, and yanked her hand away.

The bar tender groaned as his privates were finally freed from her clutches. "You'll pay for that." He waved her off before somewhat limping past his men.

"Oh Junior, I was just playing with you, don't be so sensitive. C'mon, let's kiss and make up, okay?"

"Huh?" His perverted side was practically beaming when the brunette innocently giggled his way. "Okay..."

The Card Wizard leaned right in towards him and closed her eyes. The man studied her for a moment, a bewildered yet excitable look on his face. Ah, perverts at their finest. Smiling ever so slightly, the bar tender leaned down to her level and pursed his lips. The pair got within an inch away from each other when Cana's form suddenly shifted and the next thing the man knew, he had a fist slammed into his face, knocking him into the wall on the other side of the room. Innocent bystanders rushed out of the vicinity in a flurry of screams, only the black suited dark guild members remained. Well, this definitely got the boys attention as they were quick to shove their way past the two girls and approached their guild mate.

"Cana what the hell?" Gray yelled, still in shock from the sudden aggressive behaviour of his longest friend. How drunk was she?

"This whole thing was a set up," she stated bluntly. "These assholes are a dark guild."

"Oh shit!" Loke exclaimed. "We're in trouble now. What's the plan?"

"Let's show these bastard's the power of a guild more terrifying that any dark guild out there," Gray grinned maniacally as his pressed his fist down into his palm. Similarly, Cana slot her cards in between her fingers and moved into her usual fighting stance.

"You're joking right?! There's no way the three of us can take in a whole dark guild! You're crazy!"

"We're Fairy Tail." Both wizards proclaimed, springing into action.

Several of the black coated men dove at Cana, readying swords and hammers of varying styles. The brunette kept her distance from their weaponry and mainly focused on her range shots, shooting cards left and right. "Summon Lightning!" She cried as multiple electrical beams struck down upon her opponents and shattered the light systems around them. It was a good thing she had a few luminescent cards hidden amongst her deck or the sudden blackout would have definitely been an issue. Loke, on the other hand, was having no issue, his rings lighting the path of his fists as he swung punches towards the pack of enemies. These assholes seemed to be thinning out fairly quickly and the ginger wizard didn't like that one bit. They were just playing with them, letting them use up their energy fighting these small fries and once they're low on power, Loke had no doubt that the main forces would make their appearance. He took a quick glance at Gray; he must share a similar suspicion. The raven had almost completely neglected the use of his magic by this point, only using it form defensive measures. _He must be pretty confident in his hand-to-hand combat_ , Loke assumed as he twisted another ring around his finger. Cana grew a bit too arrogant as the fight progressed, taking on a far more casual and careless attitude, so much so that she didn't notice when the girl in red – that the boys had previously conversed with – snuck up behind her and struck the brunette with her claw-like weapons.

"Cana!" Gray cried as he watched her crash into the bar, clutching her arm in pain. Anger flaring through his veins, and the Ice Wizard charged at the girl with an icy sword in hand... Only to be parried by the girl's twin sister and the sharp spikes reaching out from her boots.

* * *

Gray gritted his teeth upon seeing the girl's satisfied smile before he staggered backwards from the force of her attack. The next thing he knew, the twins were charging his way, one with spikes drilled into her boots and the other with sharp claws extending from her gloves. Luckily for him, Loke wasted no time in intervening, striking one of the girls with a blinding fist. That left Gray with the female version of Wolverine. He got into his prime stance and created an intricate sword, giving himself just enough time to block the girl from slashing his head clean off his neck. The duo exchanged blows, neither one managing to deliver a hard hit to their opponent. _Damn_ , he thought. _This girl's tougher than she looks_. Every once in a while, the Ice Wizard would take a quick glance to his team mates in order to check up on their conditions. Cana seemed to be losing energy as her breaths came out in rapid pants. Maybe having all those drinks beforehand wasn't such a good idea... Men of all shapes and sizes had swarmed her either to knock her senseless or to attempt to fulfil their own perverted desires. Gray rolled his eyes at the simpleminded assholes he was ashamed to share gender with. Turning to Loke, he found that parts of the ginger's jeans had been torn at the seams whereas his opponent had rather a lot of upper body injuries. _Must be a battle of endurance_ , Gray could only assume and it appeared that Loke was winning. As long as he finished up with this chick he could run over to protect his brunette companion from the horny bastards and they could sleep their troubles away on the train ride home.

"Ice-Make: Lance!" Gray cried as he left a good distance between him and his opponent. He figured that as long as he went with more ranged attacks then the girl would have a harder time blocking, and attacking him with her claws would be nearly impossible...

Well he was right about one thing...

The agile girl was able to summersault out of range of the first two icy weapons, but the third and fourth managed to sweep her off her high heels and crashing into the disco floor. However, the dark haired wizard was quick to her feet and threw her fist out in mid-air. Almost at the speed of light, the three claws extending from her knuckles grew in length and shot towards the raven, slicing through his right arm.

"Arg!" He grunted, immediately going to freeze the sudden blood flow. _It's a good thing I'm a lefty_ , he thought, wincing through the pain whilst making a fresh sword. "Looks like close combat is my only option."

* * *

Loke had been in easier battles before... But he'd also been in tougher ones which seemed to keep his fighting spirit on a high. He still hadn't fully adjusted to life as a 'human' yet and was still struggling to grasp his new magic, and weaker magic at that. To say it was difficult going from the Leader of the Zodiac's to a half-baked wizard would be an understatement; he'd already gotten himself a few decent wounds that he could already tell would be a pain in the ass to heal. The girl he was fighting put most – if not all – of her energy into the powerful kicks she was delivering to the lower half of Loke's body, that of which he had very little protection against. All he could do was dodge and hope for the best. The Ring Wizard didn't have many ranged attacks at his disposal as of yet, making it practically impossible for him to even hit the girl without the risk of sustaining an injury himself. But that was just a risk he was willing to take.

* * *

The many bastards that had surrounded Cana weren't particularly tough... There were just a lot of them. The second the brunette managed to beat one down, another would pounce and throw her back into the defensive whilst she studied his strengths and weaknesses. Just how many of these guys were there? She caught glimpses in between strikes of the multitude of unconscious bodies lying across the dance floor. If she didn't get her act together soon, they'd only wake up and continue their assault. Cana didn't even have time to be concerned for her team mates. They we both more than capable wizards... Or at least Gray was. She was sure they'd be fine. She couldn't say the same for herself though.

* * *

 _Damn_ , Gray thought, dodging another claw swipe to his neck. _We'll never get through this whilst we're all_ _divided_. And that's when a plan began to formulate in his mind. Smirking, the Ice Wizard fell back into defensive mode, swerving around and teasing his opponent into making unnecessary swings. The two danced around the disco floor (metaphorically speaking of course) with the girl's aggression growing more and more as Gray ceased his attacks. The raven waited until he had a clear view of Cana's battle with the many thugs backing her into a corner.

"Ice-Make: Floor!" He yelled as a glistening sheet of ice coated the floor.

Cana instantly noticed the sudden drop in temperature and bounded into the air, watching in satisfaction as the dumbass dark wizards all stumbled over one another. "Nice Gray!" She gave a quick wink to her friend before planning an attack of her own. Whilst still air bound, the brunette reached for her deck and pulled out a cluster of cards. "Heaven! Reverse Death! Lovers! Summon Lightning!" She roared as bright yellow bolts of electricity struck the dark haired girl fighting Loke.

The Ring Wizard let out a girlish scream as the lightning crashed mere inches from his face. "A little pre-warning next time," he sighed, attempting to slow his breathing back to a normal rate.

Cana and Gray both rolled their eyes at the clearly inexperienced wizard before turning their gaze to each other and sharing a knowing smirk as their opponents pushed themselves back up to their feet. Thankfully several of the dark guild members had already been taken out by their lack of ice skating experience or the after effects of the lightning.

"Now!" Gray nudged the brunette.

"Prayer's Fountain!" Cana struck down her final card as a humongous spurt of water erupted from the miniature card. She then stood back and let Gray finalise their masterpiece.

"Ice-Make: Geyser!" Spikes of ice travelled along the dance floor growing ever closer to Cana's raging fountain. When the two collided, the entire building was covered with a thick, freezing fog as the ice shot out in all directions, knocking everyone off their feet and rendering their foes unconscious.

Loke watched the entire thing play out in a mixture of relief, shock and a tiny bit of fear. _Just how strong are these guys?_ He thought, his wide eyes turning to face them with his mouth agape. "A little overboard, don't you think?"

Gray and Cana just smirked at one another yet again. "Yeah..." Cana sighed. "But it's far more satisfying this way."

"Well looks like there's nothing left for us here so we might as well head home," Gray concluded as he picked up his discarded shirt. When had he taken it off again?

"I think you two need to treat me to a drink after that fiasco," Cana draped her arms over the raven, who just rolled his eyes in response. "You think Master will make us pay for the damages?"

"Probably..."

As the two wizards made their way for the exit, Loke remained in his position, still completely stunned at the disaster his new guild mates just caused. This was nothing remotely like Blue Pegasus. Not wanting to be around when the dark guild members eventually woke up, the ginger male made a mad dash over to the others' retreating figures.

A dark pair of eyes slowly flickered open. Cana's perverted bar tender had finally come around after that intense punch has knocked him out. He stared out in shock horror at the state of his bar, grinding his teeth in anger as he saw the three guild wizards nowhere in sight... and his beer fridge completely empty.

"THOSE LITTLE PUNKS!"

* * *

It took a good few minutes for the adrenaline to run out and Loke actually took in what outrageous job they'd just done. They'd just fought a dark guild. _A Dark Guild!_ Fights between guilds were illegal, dark guild or not. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much shit they'd get in for this, and frankly, he was surprised they'd actually won. The Ring Wizard was still getting a grasp of his new powers and he hadn't exactly adjusted to his 'new' life, not to mention his two companions were only in their mid-teens. If these two had so much raw magic power burning inside of them, just how strong was the guild as a whole?

"So what do you think the Council are gonna say about this little mishap," Cana slurred, downing a drink she'd 'borrowed' from the club.

"As long as the evidence points to self defence, then there shouldn't be an issue," Gray pointed out as he double-checked his bag for their job flyer. "Plus it's not like the first time this has happened."

"Wait this has happened before?!" Loke was baffled to say the least.

"What? Did Blue Pegasus never get involved with a dark guild?" Cana nudged the still stunned man.

"Not even remotely close to that. And the two of you are acting like this is a common occurrence..."

"Well then Loke, I guess this is where your life begins."

The ginger male's expression slumped at the sheer irony of the comment. It was hard to start feeling alive when he knew his life span was shrinking with every passing day. Gray seemed to pick up on the wizard's discomfort and slowed his pace to meet with his whilst Cana rambled on about the many types of alcohol.

"Loke, she's right," Gray frowned, keeping his voice low. "Whatever baggage you're carrying around with you... Don't be afraid to just put it down every once in a while. And I'm not gonna tell you to just move on from whatever happened in your past, believe me I haven't. But if I've learned anything from the years I've spent at Fairy Tail, it's that you shouldn't restrict yourself from having fun – or having friends for that matter. When I joined the guild, I had absolutely no intention of making friends or interacting with anyone. My plan was to take a few solo jobs in order to sustain a decent lifestyle and keep training to get stronger. But no matter how hard I tried, that drunken bitch and the others were just so damn persistent that I couldn't help but join in on the sheer madness. Like I said, I'm not saying to let go of whatever happened to you completely, but everyone deserves to have some fun once in a while. Whether that's sitting around the guild hall chatting with the members or fighting bandits or dark guilds. And hey, who doesn't love a little adventure in their lives?"

Well Loke certainly hadn't been expecting that. Gray didn't exactly strike him as a wise and knowing person, though he had to admit that the Ice Wizard's words did have some merit to them. It would be pointless to waste what little life he had left brooding over his past errors and by the sounds of it, he wasn't exactly alone in this either. Clearly he wasn't the only one with skeletons in the closet and while he could easily curl up in a corner until his demise, it would be insulting to the people around him who were trying so hard to move forward. The least he could do was try.

"Yeah... You're right," he mumbled, giving off a sad smile. "Thanks Gray."

The raven smiled in response and for a very brief moment, Loke got a glimpse into the raw grief and sadness that had been welling up inside of him over the years; however it rapidly dissipated as the teen was quick to spark up a new conversation of their previous experiences with dark guilds.

Unknown to the pair, the brunette had indeed been listening into their conversation. She could only assume that they thought she was already too wasted to make sense of anything around her, but she heard clear as day. _You god damn fool_ , she thought. _Why don't you take your own advice for once?_

* * *

 **Props to anyone who got the not-so-subtle RWBY reference!**

 **Follows, favourites & reviews are always ****appreciated. :D**

 **See you in the next one! ;)**


	4. A Feline Friend

**Totally didn't almost forget to post this.**

 **Also a portion of this chapter was inspired by** Divinion's story S-Class so props to you! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

* * *

It was oddly quiet through the guild hall on this sunny morning. Gray's only reasoning was that a particular hot-headed idiot and his feline companion were nowhere in sight, and he certainly wasn't complaining. Ever since that blonde – what was her name? Lucy something – had joined the guild, the Fire Wizard seemed to have his hands full juggling job requests and raiding the poor girl's apartment for food. Gray almost felt sorry for her... _Almost_. He was rather enjoying the peace and quiet in the guild; even Erza was away on a job. The only sounds that could be heard were the quiet mumbles from other tables as they chattered away. The Ice Wizard missed these moments; the moments that he could spend drinking with his team mates Cana and Loke. Ever since the red-headed demon scouted him and the others away to fight against Eisenwald, his time with the duo had begun decreasing with every passing day. So now Gray was trying to do everything he could to make up for their lost time before Cana beat the living crap out of him.

"Ooooooh, the Judgement Card!" Cana exclaimed. "It stands for rebirth, inner calling and absolution. It means that you will awaken into a new life. The card suggests that you will evaluate your past experiences and what you've learned from them. Your memories will no longer haunt you and you will finally understand and value what has happened to you and what it has taught you about life. It will also help you view the future with peace and deep knowingness in your heart."

"Well that's certainly optimistic," Loke leaned back in his chair, glancing down at the peculiar card.

"Oh please, you don't really believe that crap do you?" Gray rolled his eyes.

In all honesty, no he didn't. But there was no way he was going to express his doubts aloud. The ginger male could never be as direct as his Ice Wizard companion and didn't dare say anything to hurt the brunette's feelings. Her cards clearly meant a lot to her.

"Shut it Gray," Cana scowled. "Pick a card."

"No, the damn thing is rigged."

"Loke, would you please tell him."

He froze. "I uhhh... I'm gonna get another drink. You two argue it out between yourselves," he smiled. The Ring Wizard shuffled around, ready to stroll over to Mira and order a drink when he saw her dash down the stairs to the second floor, a look of distress covering her features.

"Master," the barmaid cried. "One of the requests from the second floor is missing!"

This definitely caught everyone's attention, especially Makarov. The tiny man spat out his beverage in both shock and horror whilst the rest of the guild fell completely silent. Gray placed down the tarot card he was mere seconds away from turning over. Cana would have been annoyed if it weren't for the shocking news that had befallen their guild.

"What?" Wakaba's cigar dropped from his gaping mouth. "A request has disappeared?"

"If it was posted on the second floor," Macao pondered, "it must be S-Class, right?"

"Who would be stupid enough to take it?" Laki remarked from one if the further tables.

"A cat." A voice stated. All eyes shot towards the balcony of the second floor to see Laxus carelessly sat in his chair, resting his legs upon the table. He wore an amused smirk as he leaned back in preparation for the uproar. "I saw a cat with wings taking it."

"It was Happy?" Mira proclaimed, scowling towards the older wizard.

Immediately, the guild members erupted into panicked conversation. Some showed concern for their fellow wizards whilst others marvelled at the sheer stupidity of the younger generation. During the commotion, Mira strode back up the steps to the second floor to confront her fellow S-Class wizard.

"So Natsu and Lucy are also in on it then?" One person assumed.

"What the hell are they thinking?" Another added.

"Running off on an S-Class quest without permission?" Alzack questioned in disbelief.

Bisca gave a disapproving shake of her head. "I knew they were idiots, but not to this extent."

Laxus was thoroughly enjoying listening to the bumbling idiots downstairs, but he had most certainly picked up on the fact that his tiny old man had gone silent. Looks like it was time to rile the guild hall some more. "This is a fairly clear violation of the rules," he began with an obvious tone. "Old Man! When they return, they'll be expelled, right?"

Makarov remained silent, his eyes clouded with a multitude of emotions.

The blonde clearly needed to dig deeper. "But given their level, I doubt they'll return alive from an S-Class quest."

"Laxus," Mira raised her voice, striding right up to the carefree wizard. "If you knew, why didn't you stop them?"

The Lightning Wizard pulled his legs off the table and planted them firmly on the ground. "All I saw was a thieving cat fly off with a piece of paper," he smirked, leaning forward. "I didn't know it was Happy. And I never thought that Natsu would take on an S-Class quest."

Mira's scowl broadened, a dark shadow looming around her eyes. Her posture went ridged as she looked down upon Laxus as if he was some kind of vermin.

"Oh? It's been a while since I saw that look on your face."

"This isn't good..." Makarov frowned, his eyes clearing. "Which one is missing?"

The barmaid turned to address her fellow guild mates, yet kept a firm glare on her peer. "The cursed island. Galuna."

An audible gasp resonated through the walls as everyone's mouths fell open. It couldn't be possible, could it? Of all the jobs available and Natsu had to go with Galuna.

"What?!" Makarov erupted.

"Galuna Island?!" Macao and Wakaba simultaneously exclaimed.

"That's madness!" Laki declared.

"Those guys really are idiots!" Alzack and Bisca repeated.

The guild once again exploded into a distressed discussion and Laxus leaned back in the chair, satisfied with the result.

"Laxus, go bring them back!" Makarov demanded, glaring daggers towards his only grandson.

"Are you kidding?" The wizard chortled. "I have work waiting for me." Upon seeing the harsh scowl on his old man's face, his smile broadened. ""There're no wizards in this guild that aren't able to take care of themselves," right?"

"Who else here except you can bring Natsu back here by force?!"

A shuffling chair caught the guild's attention as all eyes turned towards none other than Gray Fullbuster. A look of pure determination stricken on his face.

"Gramps," Gray frowned. "I can't let that one slide."

After that, the Ice Wizard silenced and picked up his bag. Cana and Loke sent the teen a worried glance that told him to just leave Natsu to his fate, but Gray was having none of it. He would bring Natsu back. No one dared break the tension that lingered over the guild hall as the raven slammed the door shut, the majority thinking the exact same thing. _Erza won't be happy when she hears this_. Among the chaos, Cana even forgot to check what card her team mate had selected.

* * *

It was so peaceful. Birds were happily chirping away and a calming breeze brushed through the trees. It was perfect. So perfect that Gray just wanted to stay there, quietly resting in bed. He cast the whole world aside for a brief moment and just enjoyed the peace, until a dull pain in his lower abdomen brought him back into the present. The Ice Wizard reluctantly forced his eyelids open and was met with wooden ceiling. Where was he? It took a while for his mind to catch up and images of Deliora and Lyon flashed through his head, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut as he felt a headache coming along. Gray brought a feeble had to his forehead and traced the scar his fellow pupil had given him the previous night. Rubbing his eyes clear, he made to push himself into a sitting position when the pain in his abdomen intensified. _Oh yeah_ , he thought. _I got stabbed_. And then it dawned on him. _Fuck, I got stabbed_. Gray was no stranger to getting roughed up on a job – in fact, practically every job he'd ever gone up had resulted in strapping his body in bandages – but this definitely took the cake. The damned thing could take weeks to heal. Not wanting to go anywhere any time soon, Gray just lay in bed, replaying the previous events in his mind. His fights with Lyon, Ur's ice melting, attempting Iced Shell, watching Deliora crumble away into nothing. How could so much happen in the span of two days? His thoughts were interrupted with the creaking of the door. Gray twisted his head to the side to see Happy flying into the room and coming to an immediate halt upon seeing the conscious Ice Wizard.

"Gray, you're awake!" The feline rejoiced. "How do you feel?"

"Sore, tired..." Gray croaked, his voice hoarse. "How long have I been out?"

Happy flew over to his bed side and plopped himself down by the raven's head. "Well you got all wobbly last night during the party so Natsu brought you back here and you passed out pretty quickly after that, so... I'd say it's been a good few hours."

"Right..." Gray muttered. "So where is everyone else?"

"They're out talking with the villagers. No one wanted to wake you this morning so we all went out for breakfast. You were still sleeping when we got back so we decided we'd let you rest while we finished packing."

Gray nodded before trying to pull himself up into a sitting position a second time. The pain exploded in his side, causing a wave of dizziness to take over. When he lost his balance and toppled to the side, Happy was quick to activate his magic and catch him before he did anymore damage to his wound.

"Woah, be careful!" Happy warned as he adjusted Gray into a sitting position. "Erza said you lost a lot of blood and shouldn't move around so much."

Gray nodded again, but remained silent. Scenes of the stabbing flashing through his mind yet again. Happy seemed to pick up on his mood and flew around to sit in the teens lap. "Are you okay?"

This snapped Gray out of his daze. "Oh... Uhh... Yeah. Just thinking about yesterday."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really..."

"Gray."

Said Ice Wizard opened his mouth to speak, yet no words managed to escape. What was he supposed to say? Happy was a cat... And a child at that. At least if it was Erza trying to snuff a deep and meaningful conversation out of him then he could relax a somewhat knowing that the red-head could relate to some extent, even if he didn't know how exactly. Happy was Natsu's giddy little sidekick who made the occasional cheeky comment to lighten the mood, he wasn't exactly one for a deep life discussion about people's feelings. Then again, he was a frigging talking cat; the guy was full of surprises.

"Are you upset about Lyon?" Happy pressed further.

Gray sighed. It was pointless to just shut him out. He was only trying to help after all. And how bad would it be to talk to just one person? Or cat. "No it's not that, it's just... When I was younger, I never really cared for magic. Neither of my parents were wizards and guilds were far less common in Isvan. If you talk to the other members of Fairy Tail they'll tell you how they always had this big dream of becoming a powerful wizard pretty much their whole lives, but I had no intention of becoming a wizard when I was a kid. My whole purpose for learning magic and getting stronger was solely so I could defeat Deliora and avenge my friends and family. I never would have even come to Fiore if it weren't for Ur's suggestion... So now that Deliora's gone for good I... Where do I go from here?"

"Oh, I get it," Happy proclaimed, nodding.

"You do?" Gray was honestly taken aback.

"Don't sound so surprised," The feline frowned. "You're looking for a new reason to get stronger, right? A fresh new purpose?"

"Yeah," Gray smiled slightly. "Something like that."

"Natsu always says that his drive to get stronger is so that he can find Igneel again."

"Yeah well what does he plan doing once he's accomplished that?"

"I don't know," Happy admitted. "He's never really talked about it. Natsu's more of an in-the-now guy. He doesn't tend to think ahead too much."

Gray laughed. "Yeah, no kidding."

"Lucy said that her drive to get stronger was that so she could for a better connection with her Celestial Spirits," the cat informed. "And Erza said she gets stronger to uphold the name of the guild."

"Yeah, but what were their drives to learn magic in the first place. It's the initial goal that's far more personal that people tend to stick with even if they don't realise it themselves. If I'm gonna find a new reason, I want it to be something exclusive to me. Not just the usual, I-wanna-be-the-strongest-wizard crap."

The duo fell into silence and Happy formulated a plan in his mind. Gray studied his friend in a mixture of curiosity and confusion. He was honestly interested in what the blue cat was going to say, but a part of him couldn't help but doubt that it would be anything of worth. Had Natsu's influence rubbed off on Happy or could the feline possibly be a lot smarter than he looked?

"Let's try this, what about using magic and being a wizard makes you unhappy?" He suggested.

"What?" Gray raised an eyebrow.

"Just trust me," Happy assured. "Go on."

"Umm... Okay. Well, I guess being a wizard is a high risking job for yourself and the people around you; your teammates could get injured or even killed... Sometimes it can be a little hard to sustain yourself if no high paying jobs are posted and... Every magic has its side effects, like how I get heat exhaustion practically every summer... Though that could just be because I used to live in the north."

"Wait is that why you're always so miserable in the summer?" Happy interrupted.

"What?!"

"Nothing!" He stuttered. "Carry on."

"Umm... I don't know... I guess magic has been the cause of a lot of wars over the years... I don't see how this is going to help."

Happy sighed. "Now tell me what about using magic and being a wizard makes you happy?"

The raven shook his head and smiled before responding. "Well, going on jobs with you guys and my team is really fun... And I guess going on dangerous jobs is kinda exhilarating."

"There's you reason."

"Huh?"

"You're purpose for getting stronger. You've got a life Gray, just like everyone else. Just because you're initial drive is gone doesn't mean you've got to stop living your life. You want to keep getting stronger so you can continue going on adventures with your friends and do what you can to protect the people you care about. Ur saved your life didn't she? Use that life she gave you to do something worthwhile with it. Whether it's fighting to save lives – because we've done plenty of that in the past few years – or just simply helping a client out with their request. In the past, your drive to get stronger was based of revenge and sadness. Convert those emotions into something more positive. Don't live to avenge your loved ones, live to honour them. Sure it's not very personal, but it will sure as hell make Ur proud... And your parents. At the end of the day, upholding their legacy and doing the things that you enjoy is all that matters right?"

To say Gray was surprised would be an understatement. Happy was probably the last of the Fairy Tail wizards that Gray would have thought possessed a wise side. There was something in the blue cat's eyes that told the raven this wasn't Happy's first motivational speech. Chances are that most of these words were all repeats of things he'd addressed to Natsu in the past.

"You're a lot smarter than you look, you know that?" Gray gave him his signature smirked.

"Thanks... I think..." Happy sheepishly brushed a paw through the fur on his head as the duo once again fell into silence. Happy studied his friends face. Gray had a vacant look in his eye and appeared to be lost in a deep thought. The feline took this as an opportunity to make his exit. "I'm gonna go tell the others you're awake. Meet us at the village entrance when you're ready," he waved, hovering over to the door.

The Ice Wizard snapped out of his daze for a very brief moment. "Oh... Yeah okay," he smiled before returning his gaze down to his hands. What Happy had been saying made a lot of sense. He had been spending most of his life focusing on his hatred for the hideous demon that stole his loved ones away and the raven had almost completely discarded any positive memories he had of them to the point where just the mention of their names could be enough to put him in a foul mood for a good few days. Maybe focusing solely on avenging his family was a bad idea from the start? What good had it done him? Gray was mainly bitter to Ur and Lyon throughout his training and had locked away his true self from anyone he came in contact with. The Ice Wizard closed his eyes and forced himself to think of a happier time in his life; a time when he wasn't consumed by guilt and blind anger. He recalled how he used to play in the snow with his friends and the big toothy grins he'd greet his father with every evening when he return from work. It was rare to get a genuine smile out of Gray nowadays, and upon realising this, Gray was truly disgusted. It was amazing how one night could change a person's personality so drastically. Realising the time, Gray quickly – well, as quickly as he could without agitating his wound – gathered up his clothes and through them over his bandaged skin. Not bothering to run a brush through the scraggly mop he called hair, Gray picked up his bag and made his way over to the village entrance. No use keeping the others waiting any longer.

* * *

To say Cana was nervous would be an understatement. She had been pacing in a continuous loop ever since Erza had left for Galuna Island. She and Loke had been ever so slightly anxious when their team mate failed to return with the thieving S-Class wannabes, but now even the guild's strongest female had been gone over twenty-four hours and it had everyone on edge, Cana more so than others. Gray was in trouble, she knew that much. And despite Loke assuring her that the Ice Wizard was plenty strong enough to look after himself, nothing would set her at ease. In addition, it wasn't helping that the previous night that damned Phantom Lord Guild had thought it would be funny to attack the guild hall. First her team mate was missing and now this! Makarov hadn't been taking things well either. He was already out of his mind worried for the unqualified members and was incredibly angry at the same time. It was understandable. Natsu was known for doing stupid things, but taking an S-Class request was on another level entirely.

"Cana," Loke sighed tiredly. "Come and sit down. Your pacing is only putting everyone else even more on edge."

"I can't just sit around and do nothing," Cana didn't even bother offering her team mate as much as a glance and just continued pacing.

"Don't worry," the Ring Wizard reassured. "We'll make sure Phantom pays for this."

"That's not what I'm worried about and you know it."

Loke sighed a second time. She was right though. When Erza had returned to the guild and stated that she would go after a Gray and the others, he practically had to restrain Cana or she would have insisted that she go along with the Requip Wizard. He didn't blame her though; Gray had been her first ever friend and the pair had know each other for ten years now. It was natural to worry. The duo fell into silence with Loke focusing his eyes on the stairway that led up into their damaged guild hall, hoping that he'd get a glimpse of Natsu and Gray arguing or Erza lecturing them. Just some sign that they were coming home safe. Sure, watching Cana pace back and forth was probably less stressful than this, but it was better than watching Makarov attempt to drink his many problems away.

* * *

It wasn't until mid-afternoon that Gray returned with the others and Cana wanted nothing more than to dash over and punch him in the face for worrying her so much, but Loke pulled her back. The group all shared the same look of shock, worry and confusion. It was probably better if Makarov caught them up on current events – or at least as well as he could in his drunken state – before the brunette chastised Gray for getting in trouble. Plus, Cana had important matters to attend to, not as important as questioning Gray, but important nonetheless. Mira had tasked her with predicting where exactly Mystogan was and when he'd be returning. They'd need their top wizards to fight against Phantom Lord, so the raven had actually picked the perfect time to return... Though Cana wouldn't have minded him returning sooner. The longer the Card Wizard had to wait, the more her anger towards the raven was washed away. She hadn't taken an eye off him since he entered the guild and upon further inspection, she began picking up on his condition. Gray was known to be a pale person, but Cana definitely picked up on his clammy, near-white complexion. Tight bandages were peeking out from his sleeves and trouser legs and Cana could have sworn she saw some black and blue coating his body. When the group finally broke away from one another to converse with other guild members, Cana was the first to the Ice Wizard's side. Her irritation towards him long passed, the brunette leapt into his chest and crushed him in a hug.

"Wha..." Gray recoiled at the surprise attack. "Okay, ow. Cana." Gray winced, the pain in his abdomen flaring to life. He wriggled out of her grasp and clutched his wounded side; however he quickly regained his composer when he noticed the look of concern on his team mate's face.

And that's when her anger came bursting back. "What the hell were you thinking?!" She erupted, punching him in the arm. The brunette would have gone for a second swing if it weren't for the other male of the team pulling her away from the already wounded wizard.

"Looks like you had quite the adventure," he chimed, grinning over to his comrade.

"That doesn't even begin to describe it..." Gray mumbled.

"This one's been pacing like crazy ever since that card of hers began flaring," the Ring Wizard patted the raven on the back as he directed him over to an unoccupied table.

"What? A card?"

Cana groaned and rolled her eyes at her oldest friend. She snatched his bag away and fumbled around with the contents until she pulled out a tarot card with a chibi version of herself printed on. "You've been carrying this around for ten years, how the hell did you forget?" She whacked him over the head. That certainly wouldn't do anything for the bruises hidden by his bangs. "These cards let us know if the other is in danger and which direction they're in. My damn card has been going off like crazy ever since you left to retrieve Natsu, Lucy and Happy. What the hell happened on that job?!"

"Cana," Gray huffed. "I promise I'll explain everything later. Let's sort out this crap with Phantom first and then I'll tell you about our fascinating adventure on Galuna Island."

"That's what you always say you damned Fool!" The brunette snarled. She was about to press on when her eyes locked on to the raging storm exploding through the dark eyes of her comrade. There was clearly something more to this than Cana knew and the strong look Gray was giving her suggested that this was a promise he planned on keeping. Sighing in defeat, the Card Wizard agreed to drop the subject and the trio began discussing their plan of action when Phantom eventually returns for seconds. _Maybe it's time I stopped calling him a Fool?_ Cana thought to herself as she downed another drink.

* * *

 **I was originally gonna have Happy's chapter after Edolas and have the pair talking about their parents. I think this was gonna be a Lucy chapter but I am terrible at writing her character so this was changed to Happy. Maybe I'll write a separate one-shot about Gray and Happy (maybe even Natsu) based after Edolas?**

 **I also have written in my chapter notes "** ** _I was in a bad mood so sorry if the ending sucks"_ so there's that... I guess? :p**

 **Thank you to everyone who has followed/favourited/reviewed so far, I love ya! ;)**

 **See you next week (assuming I remember)!**


	5. An Icy Companion

**Okay, okay I know I'm late but better late than never right? Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

The whole ordeal at the Sun Village definitely had the team spooked, Gray more so than the rest. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd ever come across an Ice Wizard with such raw power. To freeze an entire village – and a Flame Dragon – in a mere instant was unheard of. This wizard could possibly even surpass Ur, and she was on the same calibre as the Wizard Saints. Just who was this Devil Slayer? All these thoughts jumbling around his head was more than enough to bring on a migraine and he hadn't even begun to think about Tartarus.

Speaking of Tartarus, that had been the main topic of discussion on the journey back to the guild. Gray hadn't really been listening for the most part. His joints and bones were still sore from his fight with the demon and he was still trying to fully register what the hell had happened during that fight. Erza and the others would ask him a question about his fight every now and then, to which he'd give a typical shrug of his shoulders and dismiss whatever insane theories they came up with. Memories of his time as a child were still strong in his mind. He'd completely lost it! The second his mind had caught up to his body's change in appearance it had just shut down completely and forced him back into the broken shell that Ur and Lyon had pulled out of the wreckage. He hated that side of him. It reminded him of how weak he had been, so powerless when Deliora threatened to take his life away. He quickly shook himself out of the dark thoughts and forced his mind to think of something more pleasant. _Maybe I should visit Lyon?_ He thought. Okay, it wasn't exactly pleasant, but it couldn't hurt either. The last time he'd seen the fellow Ice Wizard was during the intense fight with the dragon hatchlings and ever since they'd seen that vision... A fresh awkwardness had settled over their relationship. Neither one of them really wanted to address the elephant in the room, especially not after finding out why what they saw hadn't actually become reality. So while the team headed back to their guild to discuss recent events, Gray took a small detour to Lamia Scale.

* * *

Lyon wasn't up to anything in particular. He and his team had just returned from a rather tough job and deserved a good few days of relaxation, and with the amount of money they earned, they could afford to take at least a full month off without having to worry about finances. So what better way to spend the day than practicing his moulding techniques outside the back of the guild? This was something he would do at every given opportunity. He spent far too long disregarding Ur's teachings and taking a more rebellious path that now was the perfect time to make up for it. _Always use two hands or your moulding will be out of balance_ , he'd remind himself constantly. _Just as Ur taught us_. It was never his own voice repeating these words in his mind. No, not after the crap that occurred on Galuna Island. Now no matter how hard he tried, his fellow pupil's voice would always be the one to remind him. Lyon was a very competitive person, no one could deny it. So it was easy to imagine how hearing the annoying voice of his younger brother lecturing him on how to properly use magic pissed him off to no end.

"Lyon," the chirpy voice of his team mate, Chelia, called from the guild doors. "Gray's come to visit."

 _Well this can't be good_ was Lyon's initial thought. The two Ice Wizards did talk often, but neither would ever properly visit the other unless something serious was going down. Sighing in both frustration and worry, Lyon pulled himself off the ground and headed back into his guild hall.

Lyon walked through the doors to find his younger brother standing at the entrance to the guild and fiddling with his coat. It was more than obvious that he was trying to restrain himself from stripping. Rolling his eyes, the older Ice Wizard strolled through the guild with a growing dread in the back of his mind.

"Well looked what the cat dragged in," he smirked, hoping to release the tension at least somewhat. "What brings you to my esteemed guild on this fine morning?"

"Oh I was just coming home from a job and thought to myself "Ya know I'm in an unusually good mood. What better way to ruin that than to visit my favourite Ice Wizard?""

"Well aren't you just a delight?" Lyon laughed sarcastically. His smile quickly dropped when he noticed the glimpse of worry flashing through the raven's eyes. "So uhh... There's this new coffee shop that opened a few streets down, wanna go there?

"Sure," Gray replied with a hint of surprise. It was defiantly unusual for Lyon to recommend a hot beverage. Neither one of them had had any of the sorts since their childhood when they would drink hot chocolate after an intense training session in the snow, or at least as far as he knew. Maybe he didn't know as much about Lyon as he thought he did?

* * *

"So... You gonna tell me why you're here or are we just gonna sit in silence?" Lyon finally asked. Ever since they had parted from Lamia Scale, neither Ice Wizard barely spoke a word. There was clearly something bothering his younger brother and Lyon had full intention to find out what it was.

"What? Am I not allowed to just drop by for a chat?"

"Not with those bruises you aren't," Lyon had spent the majority of their awkward silence observing Gray in attempt to get a somewhat decent idea of what this surprise visit was about. The one thing he had managed to pick up on we're the faded cuts and bruises darted around the raven's body and a more predominant bruise that had formed around his left eye.

It took a lot of thought, but Gray eventually caved. "We got this job request from one of the Gods of Ishgal to unfre-"

"Wait, what?!" Lyon exclaimed. "One of the Gods of Ishgal requested Fairy Tail for help?"

"Do you want to hear the story or not?" Gray scowled.

"Sorry... Go on."

"He wanted us – myself and Natsu – to unfreeze the ice surrounding the Sun Village. And he wasn't lying when he said surrounding. Everything was completely frozen over, even the Giants occupying the village."

"Why do I get the feeling I know where this is going...?" Concern flared through the silverette's eyes.

"Oh I can guarantee that you don't," Gray smirked. "Anyway, there were some members of a Treasure Hunters guild trying to steal the Eternal Flame protecting the village and they were planning to use a liquidated form of Moon Drip to melt the ice."

A shocked expression took over the older wizard's face. "Well I definitely wasn't expecting things to go in that direction."

"Would you just shut up and let me finish?"

Lyon quickly silenced himself.

"The Moon Drip didn't actually work as they wanted. They only managed to melt a tiny hole in the ice, but they weren't exactly the main issue of the job. A dark guild – Succubus Eye – was guarding the village from trespassers and one member in particular had this ability to turn his opponents into kids and lower their abilities," Gray paused for a moment, debating whether he should continue with his tale. He sighed again. "A side effect of the magic was that it could give the target flashbacks to their past... So you can imagine that..."

"Gray..."

"And then I found out that he was a demon so..."

"Gray, are you okay?" Lyon reached a hand out to his younger brother to ease his ramblings.

The raven took a few shaky breaths before responding. "I don't know..."

Lyon studied his little brother carefully. While it was unusual to see this kind of behaviour now days, the Ice Wizard was more than familiar with this response from Gray. It was something he took pride in, in a way. In Fairy Tail, Gray was known for putting on a brave face and casting his own troubles aside to help his friends. However, back in the days of training with Ur, Lyon would often spend his nights talking to and comforting a teary eyed raven after waking up from another nightmare. Things had changed since then obviously. Gray was a lot more emotionally stable nowadays, but he was happy knowing that if the Fairy Tail Wizard ever had any issues that needed addressing, Lyon was always his first choice.

"Well..." He began. "How did this fight with the demon go?"

"It was tough at first," Gray admitted. "But that's just because all my abilities were weakened and I was freaking out about the whole kid thing. I eventually beat him though."

"So what are you so worried about?" The silverette smiled. "As much as I don't want to admit it, you're a lot stronger now than you used to be, and a lot smarter too. If you're worried about history repeating itself... Well there's no way you or your guild members would let that happen."

Gray smiled slightly. "I know, I know. I don't even know what I'm so worried about. A lot of annoying shit happened that was connected to my past so what better way to complete the jigsaw and stop by Lamia Scale. But enough about my crap, how've you been? Any interesting jobs recently?"

"Oh no you're not getting off so easily," Lyon shook his head. "I'm not an idiot Gray, something's bugging you and you know exactly what that is so spill!"

"Nothing gets passed you does it?" Gray huffed. "It's what that demon said before he died."

"Which was?" Lyon urged, growing impatient.

""You're the ones who open it up. Hell's Gate, it can't be undone.""

"Hell's Gate? Doesn't that mean-"

"Tartarus."

Lyon was lost for words.

"We're guessing that Tartarus was behind the freezing of the Sun Village and they sent Succubus to guard it. We found out that the man behind it all was an Ice Devil Slayer and mistook the Eternal Flame for a demon."

Lyon chuckled slightly. "Is that what you're worried about? An Ice Wizard? C'mon Gray, grow a pair. There's not an Ice Wizard around that you haven't beaten that crap out of."

The raven smirked. "You do realise that you just admitted that I kicked your ass."

"Just you wait for the next Grand Magic Games, my friend. And you don't need to worry about Tartarus either. Our guilds best the Oracion Seis and you guys took out Grimoire Heart. They were supposedly the strongest in the Baram Alliance too, so you've got nothing to worry about."

"It's not the fight I'm worried about really..." Gray hesitated again. "I beat the demon by using the ice coating the Sun Village. I passed it through my body and directed it towards the demon to take it out."

Okay now Lyon really was lost for words. "But that ice was someone else's magic. There's no way you should have been able to control it!"

"Now you can see why I'm worried..."

A tense silence cascaded over the duo. What was Lyon supposed to say? A wizard being able to utilise someone else's magic was unheard of, not to mention incredibly dangerous. Gray had said that he had passed the magic through his own body. Was he crazy?! Being able to control someone else's magic was incredible enough as it was, but to absorb it into his own body was something else entirely! Lyon had to give his little brother credit; he'd definitely underestimated Gray's abilities. He was a strong wizard, there was no doubt there, but this... Lyon was speechless. He'd have to up his game if he wanted to keep up with his younger sibling.

"So uhh..." Lyon began after finally mustering up the courage to speak. "What are you gonna do?"

"Well what can I do?" Gray asked in response. "It's not like I can just run around Fiore trying to find the guy who cast that ice. Plus you know as well as I do that trying to fight Tartarus alone is basically a death wish."

"Why do you insist on doing everything alone?"

"Because when you bring other people into the equation it almost always results in death."

The casual tone his brother used made Lyon want to cry. This hadn't been the first time for Gray to state something of the sorts, but it pained the Ice Wizard each and every time to hear the raven having such thoughts. It was true; life hadn't exactly been kind to him... And Lyon had played a significant role in that mess he called life. There must be something he could do, however small it may be.

"Gray, you know you can't think like that. As much as you hate to admit it there are people around that give a crap about you now and they don't plan on leaving – or getting themselves killed – any time soon. You need to stop pushing people away. It's never worked for you in the past and it sure as hell won't work now. I mean look at me. We tried to push each other away years ago, and now you have come to me for advice."

"I still think trying to take on Tartarus, whether I'm alone or not, is an awful idea. All the dark guilds they have under their belt would certainly retaliate."

"Probably..." Lyon mumbled. "But there have been rumours going around that a bunch of Tartarus affiliated guilds have been disappearing. No one really knows why."

"Well knowing our luck, we'll find out soon enough."

"Yes and please refrain from getting yourself killed when you do."

Gray gave his brother a dry chuckle.

"I'm serious." Lyon warned. "I thought you were dead for the past seven years. Then you reappear only for us to watch you die again and now you're talking about some crazy Devil Slayer working for a dark guild. One of these days you're gonna give me a heart attack."

"Oh?" Gray smirked, raising his eyebrows. "Didn't think you cared so much."

"Oh shut up! You'd practically be bawling if I were to die."

"Wanna test that theory?"

"God no!"

The pair laughed at one another before a calming silence fell over them once again. The raven sipped his coffee with a sad smile. It was just like old times. The nostalgia was almost enough to overwhelm Gray. After the events on Galuna, he'd never thought that their relationship would ever be the same, and he was almost positive that Lyon had the same thought. When they'd met up again to fight off the Oracion Seis, an agonising tension had blocked the two from properly making amends, but a lot had happened since then. And by a lot, he meant a lot. Gray had never realised before just how much Lyon had been affected by his guild's disappearance. He'd played it off as if he didn't have a care in the world when they'd returned, but had he really been that upset? Now that he thought about it, Gray and Lyon really had started getting closer after that seven year gap. Maybe that was the trigger? He had also noticed an odd sense of protectiveness coming from his older brother ever since then, and it had definitely escalated after the incident with the dragon hatchlings. Gray was about to open his mouth to speak when...

"I've missed this."

"What do you mean?" Gray asked, bewildered. "We see each other all the time."

"Not like this," the silverette gave a nostalgic smile. "Remember back when we were little and we used to run off during our sparring matches to go and explore caves on the mountainside?"

"Yeah," the raven laughed. "We'd do something stupid and Ur would always go crazy at us, like when we almost fell head first into that glacier. Or when we tried to take on a group of Wyvern's by ourselves? Jeez no wonder she was always so pissed at us."

Lyon studied Gray curiously, debating on whether to bring it up or not. After a long moment of silence, Gray gave his older brother a puzzled look.

"You're gonna start catching flies with that gaping gob of yours."

The silverette instantly slammed his jaw shut – that of which he hadn't even realised had practically dropped to the table – and they fell back into silence. The older Ice Wizard continued his internal debate until he eventually came to a decision. _I'll only regret it if I don't try_. "We should go out on a job sometime, just like the good ol' days."

Gray maintained his puzzled look. "You sure we can do that? Wizards from separate guilds don't tend to team up on jobs."

"We teamed up against the Oracion Seis."

"Yeah but that was more of a revolt against dark guilds than an official job request."

"I hear excuses..." Lyon chimed.

"I'm just thinking that we'd never get through one job without trying to kill each other."

"Oh c'mon, we're not that bad."

"Yeah tell that to my scars."

Lyon instantly silenced upon hearing those words, flashes of their fight on Galuna bursting into his mind. He wasn't still caught up on that was he? Lyon's brain went into overdrive as his paranoia flared. Gray must have noticed Lyon's pained expression eventually and groaned.

"Fine, if it'll make you feel better, next time you and your weird friends are in Magnolia, come on a job with my team."

"Oh my friends are weird?"

"You have a half-human half-dog on your team. At least my friends are all human."

"Oh really? Let's rethink that previous statement shall we?" Lyon grinned maniacally. "Now if I'm correct two members of your team are Exceeds... And don't even get me started on Natsu. That thing is a species of its own."

Gray couldn't hold his laughter. "Good point."

Sensing a break in the conversation and Gray's not-so-subtle urge to leave, Lyon thought best to end their little endeavours now before they actually started pissing off one another, also like old times. "You should probably get back to your guild," he concluded. "Sounds like you've got some preparing to do for your next battle... And boy do you need it."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Gray smirked sardonically. "But you're right. I should be getting back." He paused for a moment. "It was nice seeing you."

Lyon was actually surprised at just how genuine that statement was. "We should do this again sometime."

"Don't push it." The raven lightly punched Lyon on the shoulder as he rose from his seat. "Well, see ya Lyon." He shoved his hands into his pocket and leisurely strolled away.

"See ya asshole," the silverette smiled as he returned to drinking his coffee.

* * *

Gray traipsed the streets on his way back to the train station with an odd feeling of content. He was definitely more at ease with the whole situation with Tartarus; at least Lyon was good for something. Gray had honestly surprised himself when he'd sought out the older Ice Wizard for comfort. But with all the god forsaken memories of his past cropping up left and right, it was reassuring to see a face from his old life that one: wasn't dead, and two: was something from his past that didn't make him want to scream... Most of the time anyway. It was hard to believe at times, but Gray felt an odd sense of security when he was around his surrogate older brother. It was a feeling he hadn't had in a good ten years. The last time he had actually confided in Lyon was early on in their training with Ur. The two Ice Wizards – being the curious idiots that they were in their childhood – had snuck off after one of their sparring matches against their master and came face to face with a demon. Thankfully not one of Zeref's demons, but a demon nonetheless. It was the first time the raven had ever encountered one since the Deliora incident and he hadn't exactly reacted well... The boys were fortunate enough to have Ur come to their aid, but Lyon had spent the entire afternoon – and well into the night – holding onto Gray whilst he had a seemingly endless panic attack. It was nice knowing that, despite their rough patch a few months ago – or years in Lyon's case –that things hadn't exactly changed between them. Shaking himself out of his nostalgia daze, he set his mind in place for the inevitable battle ahead. Tartarus was bound to retaliate, especially against Fairy Tail and Gray couldn't help but be overly curious about this Ice Devil Slayer. Something strange was arising in Fiore and Gray felt that he was about to be caught right in the middle of it.

* * *

 **This chapter was mainly based off how me and my friend go out to get coffee in between classes to have deep life chats. :p**

 **In other news, I finished college last week and coming September I'm off to University and I can't wait! I'm studying Drama & Creative Writing so I'm hoping to be writing a whole lot more, whether it's fanfics or something else entirely who knows.**

 **So the only reason why this was late is because I've been gradually losing interest in Fairy Tail. Don't get me wrong, I still love the previous arcs and characters... but this one... kinda sucks... and it's the last arc... There's so many things that have been unanswered that there's no way it's going to be touched upon. One of the biggest things that I wanted to know was (and they cut this bit out of the anime for some reason) but way back at the end of the battle of Fairy Tail arc Gajeel tells Makarov that Ivan is after Laxus' dragon slayer lacrima and in addition to that, how did Ivan know about Fairy Heart and why did he want it. Also what's the deal with the rest of Raven Tail? There's like, what six chapters left? I doubt we'll ever find out. Also what's Levy's backstory? I was fine with her not having one when she was more of a background character, but her relation with Gajeel has kinda made her more significant. Also with the sheer amount of times someone has died and come back to life in this arc is unreal. Not even Ichiya was perma-dead! There's just so many things in this arc that have put me off Fairy Tail (Larcade... just why?) which is a real shame 'coz I loved it so much and now it's completely demotivated me to write for.**

 **On the other hand, I'm now insanely obsessed with Once Upon a Time so at least I got that to look forward to! (Despite the fact that my favourite character's are leaving the show! TnT)**

 **Anywho, thanks for reading as always... who knows when I'll update again. :p**


	6. The Aftermath of Tragedy

**Okay I know I'm late again... oops. I think it's fair to say that this schedule for this fic has gone straight out the window. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

The battle with Tartarus had affected everyone, there was no denying that. Lucy had lost one of her most precious friends and strongest zodiac key. All of the Dragon Slayers had their Dragon parents reappear before them only to watch them fade away. So much had happened that Gray didn't feel much need to add fuel to the fire with his pathetic life, so before anyone could ask any questions, he ran. Deep into the Eastern Forest he fled, in hopes of never being found. Blood, sweat and tears still coated his skin and every step sent an agonising pain flaring through his open wounds and broken bones. Surely no one would notice his absence. Everyone was still so caught up over their own lives – not to mention their ruined guild hall – that no one would spare a thought for the newly found Devil Slayer. That was another issue entirely. He was going to have to tell someone about his new magic eventually, and it was only a matter of time before people started asking questions. That was another reason why he ran. He saw it in Natsu's face from the moment Memento Mori was dispelled. Gajeel had given him a funny look too. People were definitely suspicious and Gray couldn't bring himself to offer up an explanation without breaking down in front of his guild. And there was _NO WAY_ he was going to do that. He had a reputation to live up to. Gray was the ice cold wizard with an ice cold personality to go with it. No one – bar Natsu – had ever seen Gray in such a pathetic and broken place before and he planned on keep it that way.

* * *

It had been a good half an hour since he'd turned and fled from his guild members. His blood now dried and cracked, coating his pallor complexion. Gray had been sat up against a random tree in the Eastern Forest staring down at his arm for the majority of the time. Something about his magic felt... Off. Suddenly having a Lost Magic at his disposal would definitely take some getting used to. He was curious as to how long it might have taken his father to master the techniques, and just how strong would the Devil Slayer magic be compared to his usual Ice-Make?

"The hell you doing out here Ice Prick?"

Gray silently cursed the Fire Dragon. God, he really hated that guy's timing. The raven closed his eyes and prayed that if he ignored his rival for long enough, he'd just give up and leave. Of course, he had no such luck.

"Don't worry," Natsu stated with an oddly soothing voice. "I'm not here to get some kind of explanation out of you."

When Gray didn't respond for a second time, Natsu cautiously approached the beaten Ice Wizard and slumped himself down by his side.

"You should really get those wounds looked at," he pointed out, wincing at the sheer amount of blood and bruises littering his friend's skin. "For once, Porlyusica isn't actually complaining about human contact so I'd get her to give you a check-up before she reverts back to her usual self."

"I'm fine."

"Well then clearly we have two different definitions of the word _'fine.'_ " Natsu chuckled ever so slightly, but when he once again was given no response he decided it would be wise to drop the sarcasm... At least for now. "I'm serious Gray; there could be side effects to Mard Gear's magic that we don't know about. We wouldn't want you to keel over at any random moment."

Gray's form tensed slightly.

"The others have spread out to help the citizens of Magnolia so you don't have to worry about anyone badgering you for answers... Gramps does want to talk to you though. He's worried."

"Tell him I'm fine."

"Quit lying Gray!" Natsu scowled. "No one can possibly go through all the crap and say that all is well and good. You're not the only one who went through hell today. Everyone's feeling the effects of this battle."

"I know but..." Gray tried.

"Talk to me Gray."

Of course Natsu had an ulterior motive. There was no way in hell the pinkette would have come down here just to remind Gray to go for a check up. "What happened to not being here to get some kind of explanation out of me?"

"Hey, I never specified what we should talk about," Natsu protested, frowning. He remained silent and waited a good while for his rival to initiate some kind of conversation, but when that annoying voice never came, he took matters into his own hands. "I watched my Dad die today."

"Natsu."

"No let me finish," he insisted. "I've gotta vent my anger out to someone and seeing as we're both far too injured for a fight... This is the next best thing."

Gray huffed in both annoyance and acceptance. "Go on."

"Igneel and the other Dragons have been living inside of us for the past seven – no, fourteen years. This whole time I've been running all over Fiore searching for him and he was right here the whole time... And to top it all off I just watched him die." The Dragon Slayer rapidly blinked the tears away from his eyes. This talk wasn't about him right now.

"I'm sorry..." Gray mumbled, pulling his knees closer to his chest.

"Erza said I should get advice from someone who knows what it's like to lose their family right in front of their eyes." He hesitated for a moment. "How did you cope with it?"

Gray sighed. If Natsu was going to guilt trip him into talking about his hellish life then he couldn't help but respond. "I didn't."

"What?"

"Natsu I'm probably not the best person to talk about this with," the raven admitted, turning away. "When my parents died I ran after Deliora to get revenge and got Ur killed."

"But surely you pulled yourself through all that somehow... Right?"

"Not exactly... These kinda things aren't something you can just wrap up in a bandage and forget about. Most scars fade with time but these... They never go away."

"But you've seemed perfectly fine all these years?"

"That's just it Natsu. When something traumatic happens to a person they put on a brave face so no one sees how broken you truly are. Eventually you hold up the façade for so long that you convince yourself that you're fine."

"Is that what you're trying to do now?"

"I thought we weren't going to talk about that."

"You're the one who turned this conversation around on yourself, not me."

Gray stiffened in surprise. _God dammit this was his plan all along_ , he screamed in his mind. Natsu was an idiot, but he definitely knew just what to say to ease out a person's hidden emotions.

"It seems that even your subconscious wants someone to talk to."

"Shut up..."

"Gray. Talk to me."

It took a good moment of silence until Gray's mind finally admitted defeat and he let his heart take over.

"My Dad was a member of Tartarus."

Despite the fact that Natsu saw this coming, he still recoiled in surprise. "That Ice Devil Slayer you were fighting... That was him, wasn't it?"

"...Yeah..."

The conversation dulled out yet again. As much as Natsu wanted to speak up, he'd had his moment in the light, now it was Gray's turn.

Gray was far more reluctant to speak. His mind was still fighting hard to keep the ice freezing his heart from breaking, however more and more cracks began forming and in turn, more and more words seemed to tumble from his mouth. "Seventeen years ago... After Deliora rampaged through my village, Tartarus passed through. One of their Demons was a Necromancer and was looking for a mass amount of corpses to use in an experiment. He collected a bunch of the dead villagers from Isvan, including my father. He somehow managed to out-live the other corpses and made his way into the Nine Demon Gates."

"So Tartarus was controlling your father to make him do their bidding?"

"Not exactly," Gray sighed. There was no turning back now. "The experiment was to see how much the Necromancer could make a corpse act like how they were when they were alive. My Dad was the only one to succeed in the experiment. He had full control over what he was doing."

"Okay, you lost me."

Gray gave a dry chuckle. At the end of the day, Natsu was still an idiot.

"My Dad was pretending to be possessed by Deliora so that I would kill him and feel like I was avenging my family."

The Salamander opened his mouth to respond, but all the came out was a slur of mumbles. What was he supposed to say to that?

"It didn't work. Somewhere along the line I realised what he was up to and put an end to it."

"What do you mean 'put an end to it'?"

"Well I... I tried to use Iced Shell, but before you say anything," Gray caught himself before Natsu had a chance to chastise him, "I stopped myself okay. I realised it was a bad idea and I found another way to defeat him. He asked me to kill him... Well more like he begged." Gray's voice was shaking wildly out of control as he fought relentlessly to keep his tears at bay. "I told him I couldn't do it and... That was it really. He disappeared shortly after and before I knew it, I had this." He gestured down to his right arm as his tattoo marking his newly found Devil Slayer Magic sprung to life.

"Well at least you got something out of it," Natsu chuckled awkwardly, he'd wanted to explode at the raven for once again attempted to sacrifice himself for the good of the guild. However, he'd decided to go the more supportive route to get some kind of response from his rival. When he wasn't granted such, the two fell right back into silence.

Neither dared to move the conversation along. Natsu was too worried he'd say the wrong thing and Gray was positive that if he'd say anything else his tears would let loose yet again that evening. It wasn't until the pieces of the puzzle finally clicked in Natsu's mind that he found the right words.

"I may not know exactly how it feels, but I know what you're going through."

"Oh yeah? How's that?"

"Think about it. Both our father's turn up again after years of being gone only for them to leave us for good this time. I mean sure, I'll never fully understand what you're going through since your dad was already dead, but what happened to us tonight is almost identical... Even down to the Slayer Magic they left behind." Natsu could have sword he'd seen the Ice Wizard's lips curl upwards if only for a second before his usual frown was slapped back on his face. "Gray, running away and hiding from everyone isn't the way to go about this."

"I'm not hiding."

"Of course you're not..." Natsu mumbled. "You need us Gray, and... we need you. This is a two way street ya know?"

"I know I know," Gray huffed again. "It's just... A lot to take in."

"Yeah you can say that again. I only just wrapped my head around the whole Face thing and now we've got the cryptic ass Zeref and E.N.D. to deal with. My brain's working overtime for crying out loud."

"You overestimate yourself Natsu. What brain are you talking about?"

The pinkette's smile broadened at the insult. Sure, it wasn't the most creative thing Gray could have come up with, but he'd take it nonetheless. "I have a pretty big brain thank you very much."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah... It was my idea to use Dragon Force in that last fight," He held his chin up high and folded his arms in satisfaction.

"I'm fairly certain that – as every other time before – going into Dragon Force was out of your jurisdiction."

"Shut up. I was trying to save your ass. You should be grateful."

"Oh okay so that's one save for you and now let's see... How many times did I save you today? Shall we tally them up?"

"That won't be necessary!"

Despite the pain still raw in their eyes, the two rivals laughed. It almost surprised them how they'd both gone from a blubbering mess to their typical stupid arguments... They weren't exactly at their normal standard of fighting, but the verbal abuse was just enough to loosen the tension.

"You still need to get your wounds checked out," Natsu reminded.

"Okay okay. Jeez since when did you care so much?"

"Since you saved my ass by partly turning into a demon," Natsu punched Gray across the arm... Well the arm that was least damaged. "What are you gonna tell everyone?"

"Nothing for now," Gray sighed. "Everyone's got their own crap to be dealing with. I'll give it a few days so the wounds aren't still fresh and I can actually think clearly... You better not say a word to anyone. And by anyone I mean _anyone_ Natsu. Don't go blabbing to Happy."

"Hey my lips are sealed," Natsu raised his hands in defence. "But people are suspicious... And by people I mean Gajeel."

"Yeah he's been giving me looks ever since I saved his ass from the demon that attacked Laxus and the others."

"If he starts asking questions I'll just punch him. That should pose as a good distraction."

"Thanks."

Of course Gray was still one edge, who could blame him? However somewhere inside him he finally gathered up his remaining courage and followed Natsu back to their friends. He still wasn't up for talking but knowing that his long time rival had his back was reassuring to say the least... And it was comforting to know that there was someone else in this messed up group of people he could actually relate to. Though both wizards would try to deny it, they were a lot closer than the guild knew. They would somehow always know exactly what to do to cheer the other up. Whether it was a quick brawl or a private life discussion. It was at this point that it occurred to Gray why Natsu was the only guild member to see him so broken. It was because he felt safe showing his true colours around him. Despite being known for his big mouth, Natsu did keep secrets and very well for that matter. So the two Slayers walked side by side, ready to take on their future, however hard it may be.

* * *

 **So next chapter will be the finale. After that... I have no idea what I'll be doing. Of course I have Mystery Circle that I haven't really touched upon in god knows how long. I really do want to go back to it but (as I said in a previous AN) I kinda lost my inspiration to write for Fairy Tail with the way the Alvarez Arc went. Fortunately I planned that whole fic before it went downhill so when I do eventually go back to it the Alvarez arc will be completely irrelevant. There's also two other fics that I'm working on. Neither of which I know where I'm going with them. I also haven't written in quiet a while so it might take a while to get back into the swing of things. The good thing is that I start studying Creative Writing in September so that should help with the writer's block.**

 **See ya in the next one! ;)**


	7. Words of Wisdom

**Here's it is, the finale! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

* * *

A week had passed since the battle with Tartarus and a lot had happened. For starts, Fairy Tail had disbanded. _Disbanded_. Gray had been dragged out of bed last night by a distraught Lucy and panicked Erza stating that the flame-brained idiot Natsu had left Magnolia to train for a year. The trio spent most of the night running around the wreckage that was once their hometown looking for even the slightest of clues as to where he and his Exceed companion had run off to. They'd called off the search early the next morning and Gray had finally slumped down on his bed. Unfortunately for him his relaxation had to wait as Makarov had called an impromptu guild meeting at sunrise. It surprised everyone that the guild was disbanding so suddenly. Sure, Tartarus hit them hard, but it was nothing they couldn't recover from. Guild members tried to protest but any and all attempts were futile, and it surprised them even more when Makarov just up and disappeared without so much as a goodbye. Why did people keep doing that? So now Gray was packing anything of value into a small rucksack. Without the guild, there would be no way he could maintain living with no income. Where he was planning to go, Gray had absolutely no idea. He'd very briefly considered Lamia Scale, but quickly dismissed it upon picturing having to put up with Lyon every day, however fun it may be to brag about his now clear advantage over the Ice-Make Wizard. He'd also considered going back to Isvan, but again, it was dismissed. He'd left that life behind years ago; there was nothing left for him in Isvan bar a few bad memories.

Just the thought of having to leave his friends brought tears to his eyes. There would be no more guild brawls to engage in! While most of the girls saw the spectacle as senseless violence, the fights brought them closer together. The guild wizards would always be challenging each others' strength and testing them to the limit; it was one of the key factors that helped them all become as strong as they are now – the other of course being the job requests. Not only did it improve their skills, but it added a thrill ride to their lives and brought people together as team mates. Gray couldn't stomach the thought of never doing a job with his team again. No more Natsu to argue with. No more Erza to get yelled at by. No more Lucy to sneak into her house at all hours. No more Happy with his witty comments. And it wasn't just his team. How could Gray get by without his nights of drinking with Cana and Loke? Sure they weren't exactly a team anymore, but he probably spent most of his time in the guild with them. Of course there was also Juvia whom had stood by his side ever since they'd met. Defended him when no one else would. He wasn't ready to say goodbye to ten years of his life that had actually gone right. Zeref's Demons had torn apart his first and second family, and now they had done the same again with his third.

* * *

He was just about packed and ready to meet his friends for their final goodbyes when he turned to find an old geezer positioned casually on his couch drinking a pint of beer.

"So I heard you tried to use Ice Shell again," Makarov stated, plonking his mug down on the miniature coffee table.

"Gramps!" Gray recoiled. "What are you doing here? You disappeared after the announcement... And how the hell did you even get in?!"

"A Guild Master has his ways..." the elderly man waved precariously. "And you didn't really think I was just going to take off without addressing the elephant in the room did you?"

The raven's form instantly tensed as he backed off slightly. His gaze fell to the floor and his hands met his pockets. "I... I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me Gray," Makarov sighed, stubborn to the bitter end I see. "Natsu told me everything before he left."

"That damned bastard!" Gray erupted. "He promised he wouldn't say anything."

"Can you blame a guy for being worried about his best friend?" Makarov pointed out. "Sit down Gray."

The Ice Wizard had about a million questions swirling around his mind like a whirlpool, but the strong look on his father-figure's face told him that all questions would have to wait. He rolled his eyes before dumping his bag down on his now empty bed and slumped onto the couch.

"It's hard for us when we see our friends getting hurt, but it's even harder when our friends are hurting themselves," Makarov explained with wary eyes. "Gray this isn't the first time you've tried to use Iced Shell, knowing full well the consequences of that magic. As a parent, I can't help but see this recurring event as a cry for help."

Said raven refused to look into the concerned eyes of his now former Guild Master and kept his gaze locked on the floor. It was the only thing he could do to prevent himself from breaking down into an emotional wreck.

"Life hasn't been kind to you Gray and I've seen over the years just how much you're past has affected you," he continued. "You have a very reckless nature and often disregard your own safety for the sake of the task at hand. When someone you care about it put in harm's way, it's your natural instinct to do whatever necessary to save them which then often leads to you coming close to death. While this is considered a noble act of heroism, it can also be considered foolish and a means to escape which begs the question, what are your trying to escape from?"

"I dunno..." Gray mumbled, twisting his fingers around one another.

Makarov sighed again. Gray was a bright young man, but when it came to his own feelings, he was more clueless than Natsu. "Where do you plan on going now?"

"I dunno..." He repeated.

Makarov really wasn't getting anywhere with this conversation. "Well then Gray if you don't know then I can't help you." The small man took a final drink from his mug and hopped down from the couch. He made his way to the door ever so slowly, waiting for a reaction.

"It's always my fault," Gray finally admitted after an extensive internal debate.

The Titan Wizard's lips creased upwards for a very brief moment before he back-tracked and returned to his position next to the teen. "What's your fault Gray?"

Gray pulled his knees up to his chest and curled up on the end of the couch. "I dunno... Everything. Something always happens that winds up putting one of the others in danger and it almost always leads back to me... My Dad, the whole thing with Ultear, Lyon, Ur, Deliora... I've already got too many lives weighing on my shoulders; I don't want to add any more to that list."

"I understand how you fee-"

"None of you get it!" The Ice Wizard finally blurted, not even remotely listening to Makarov. "You and so many others have told me to keep living to honour the people that sacrificed their lives for me, but so many people have been lost trying to save me... It's just getting too hard."

"Well that's a simple fix."

"Are you trying to make me feel better 'coz you're doing a really shitty job."

"Don't live for the people who are gone from this world. Live for the ones that still remain."

"What?"

"Think about it Gray. Live so that you can continue to be amongst those your care about and fight alongside them. Sacrificing your life would only lead your loved ones to feel the same way you currently do. Would you be happy knowing that your friends would feel this way? You still have Lyon and your family at Fairy Tail to stand by you through thick and thin."

"Well what am I supposed to do now the guild is disbanded? Who am I living for now?"

"If there's anything I've taught you Gray," Makarov moved his finger and thumb upwards in their guilds iconic symbol, "is that even if we can't see one another, no matter how far away we may be, we will always be watching out for each other. C'mon Gray you've been a member of the guild for ten years, surely you know this by now."

The Ice Wizard couldn't help but smile at the words. He still remembered when Gramps had first recited them to him. It was the one year anniversary of his beloved parents' death and he'd spent the majority of the day cooped up in his tiny house. Cana must have expressed her concerns to Makarov because that same evening, he found the man persistently knocking on the door and refusing to leave until he was one hundred percent certain that Gray wasn't going to shatter into pieces.

"I know I know," Gray leaned his head back and let his eyelids drop. "It's just a lot to take in all at once."

Makarov bowed his head. Out of all of his beloved brats, Gray was definitely one of the more severe cases. The small man had known from the get go that accepting young children into his guild would come with its struggles. He was prepared for the baggage that they would bring with them and was ready to offer as much support to help them adjust. It had worked with Cana. When she had joined the guild she was a quiet, shy little girl looking for a new home after her mother died of illness. Makarov had been right there by her side whenever the 'bad' days came around. However, he was not prepared for the sheer amount of weight the raven haired eight year old carried with him, and the circumstances in which the two met were already insane enough. But despite all the crap the world had put him through, no matter how many times he'd thought that it was over for him, Gray had still picked himself up and pulled himself back together. Makarov couldn't help but admire him for that strength... However, the raven was insistent on mending the broken pieces alone; it was a major issue with quite a few of the guild brats. They let their stubbornness get in the way of their relationships with one another and it pained Makarov to watch them try to pull through their issues alone.

The former guild master ran a hand across his balding head and sighed. "Well if you're planning to leave Magnolia, have you considered leaving with a friend? Maybe you could go on a training journey of your own? We wouldn't want Natsu beating you when he returns now would we?"

"Hah! There's no way in hell that lizard brain could ever beat me. Definitely not now I'm a Devil Slayer."

"And what better way to spend your time that learning how to properly use that new magic of yours. I'm sure one of your fellow guild members would be happy to help. It's just a thought."

Gray frowned. That wasn't exactly part of his plan. He would never openly admit it, but one of the reasons as to why he was so eager to leave Magnolia was to avoid any offers from his friends. He didn't want them to realise how much Tartarus had broken him. Gray just needed a place alone where he could release any lingering aggression and despair without seeing those concerning and pitiful gazes he would receive from his guild mates.

Makarov could see the reluctance in his eyes and shook his head ever so slightly. _Baby steps..._ He thought. "But that's entirely up to you," he patted a supportive hand on the teen's leg before slipping off the couch. "I should be off. You'd be surprised how busy I still am even without a guild full of brats to maintain." He made his way over to the door and was just about to make his exit, when he paused. "You take care of yourself. I don't want to be performing your eulogy, alright?"

"Well I can't make any promises," Gray sighed, followed by a not-so-subtle smirk.

"Bye Gray."

"See ya Gramps."

* * *

Just a few minutes later, Gray and the rest of his now former guild members had gathered by the crater where the guild once stood. The Ice Wizard decided to keep his little discussion with Makarov a private one. If the others knew that their Master had said a final goodbye to him and not the rest of them, they'd probably flip out just as Erza had done when Natsu had decided to leave a note with Lucy and not herself. Currently, everyone was swept up in hugs and tearful conversations of what the future held. Gray had just split from talking to his... Most of his team. The four of them had been so caught up in the whole Natsu fiasco that no one realised just how hard it would be to actually say goodbye... No wonder Natsu boycotted the whole thing. There was, however, the discussion of his note. The Salamander specifically stated that he would return in one year, but return to what exactly? With no way to contact him and his feline friend, the team just had to bet on him picking up the info in the news. Surely he'd have to make human contact at some point and there won't be a person alive who doesn't know about the disbandment. It was only yesterday that the announcement was made and it was already in the headlines. Either way, they were all bound to hear it when Natsu learns the truth.

Gray had managed to worm his way over to Cana. She was sat leaning against a rock, lathering herself in booze to hide how sorrowful she felt. Cana had been the first child of their generation of wizards to join Fairy Tail and had spent a full twelve years amongst its members. To say she was talking the sudden disbandment hard would be an understatement, but she'd never let anyone know that. Of course, Gray knew better, being the second child of their generation to join. He sat across from her with his legs crossed and reached over to her bag.

"Get your filthy demon slaying hands off my things jerk," she slurred, flinging an empty bottle at his head that he barely managed to dodge.

The raven pulled out her Tarot cards and smiled. "I thought you loved giving Tarot readings? I'm actually willing to have one so take the offer before I come to my senses."

Cana stared at Gray for a moment with a mixture of surprise and sadness. This really was the end of their guild. A solemn smile formed on her lips and she rolled her eyes. Gray handed her the deck of cards and waited for her to shuffle them as swiftly as ever. She placed several down in front of him and – just as always – took a moment to admire her handiwork before saying "Pick a card."

The raven prepared himself for the usual response. Gray would pick a card. Cana would flip it over to reveal The Fool. He would get annoyed whilst she laughed. But there was a tiny feeling in the back of his mind, something telling him that things had changed since his days as _The Fool._ "Third one from the left."

Excellent choice my friend," Cana grinned as she turned the card.

The brunette's face beamed at what she saw and even Gray was a little surprised... Though he didn't exactly know what it meant.

"This card is the Nine of Cups. It stands for comfort, happiness and satisfaction. It represents living for the moment and enjoying the good things life has to offer. It also represents stability and advancement. It signals delight and pleasure with what you have accomplished so far and forms a steady foundation for the future. It means that your worries are in the past and you can look forward to a bright future."

Well that was... _Different_. Gray was so used to Cana reciting the meaning of _The Fool_ that he'd practically memorised it. It was strange hearing something else come out of the reading. He took a moment to stare down at the happy man on the card before returning his gaze to his brunette friend. "Aren't you gonna ask me to pick another?"

"Nope."

Gray was slightly bewildered. "What so you're saying I'm not a "Fool" anymore?"

"I'm not saying anything," Cana rolled her eyes as she started collecting her cards. She left the Nine of Cups on the ground. "You can keep that one. Have it as a keepsake, so you'll remember me while we're gone."

"Cana please," he laughed. "I couldn't forget you if I tried." They shared a genuine smile for once, as opposed to their usual sly grins. "Plus won't your deck be incomplete now?"

"Eh," she shrugged. "I'm sure I can buy a new one somewhere." Cana tossed yet another bottle of alcohol to the side and sluggishly pulled herself to her feet. "Whelp... Have a nice life. I'm gonna say goodbye to everyone before I sober up and start crying."

The raven couldn't help but laugh. "See ya Cana."

Gray remained seated, staring down at his hands. He was never particularly good at goodbyes. It was far easier to say something along the lines of "see you later" rather than using something as final as "goodbye." He glanced up at his former guild members. Most of the girls were already in floods of tears whilst the guys did everything they could to appear normal... It didn't work of course. A particular blunette girl caught his attention. Juvia was saying a very tearful goodbye to her longest friend Gajeel and even he had dropped his steel personality. It didn't exactly surprise Gray; the duo had been close friends way before they joined Fairy Tail. It was definitely unusual to see Gajeel in such a state, but then again, no one was really acting like themselves at the moment. Eventually the pair broke off, Gajeel moving over to Levy and Shadow Gear, leaving Juvia alone with her thoughts. Gray watched as she started down at her hands intertwining her fingers and fumbling with her thumbs. It was clear she was trying to fight off the river of tears threatening to fall. And when the Ice Wizard noticed dark storm clouds beginning to form overhead, he decided to intervene, though he was almost positive he'd regret it later.

"Uhh... Hey Juvia," he mumbled, brushing a hand through his hair.

"Oh Gray-Sama," Juvia remarked, stunned by the raven's unexpected appearance. "Is Gray-Sama feeling better?"

Gray stared at her quizzically for a moment before it clicked. She was talking about his 'small' breakdown in Isvan. He frowned as an image of his parents' grave flashed through his mind and he turned away. "Oh uh... Yeah. Thanks for that... by the way. So uhh... I was thinking that... If you've not got any plans then maybe you'd want to... I could use some help training with my Devil Slayer magic and water magic is probably the best for the job so..."

"Is Gray-Sama asking Juvia to leave together?" The blunette interrupted, smiling slightly at his coyness.

"Something like that..."

It took all her will power just to prevent herself from leaping on top of him and squealing like a young girl, but she maintained a calmer demeanour nonetheless. "Yes, that would make Juvia very happy. Did Gray-Sama have a destination in mind?"

"Uhh... Not particularly."

Juvia smiled. Taking a step closer to Gray, she clasped one of his hands in her own. "Well, Juvia's sure that whatever destination we find ourselves at, it will be perfect."

Despite the awkwardness, Gray couldn't help but smile. He wouldn't lie, he wasn't exactly in the mood for company and probably wouldn't be for a while, but Juvia's presence had defiantly helped whilst he was out in Isvan and he owed a lot to her. Surely paying off that debt by training together would even out the score.

And with that, the former fairies rejoined the rest of their family for one last goodbye before they set out on their own paths into the future.

* * *

 **It's over! Took me long enough huh? :p**

 **So I do have other things that I started writing and never finished *cough* Mystery Circle *cough* and I do plan on going back to them in the near future. It might be a while before I post anything again but as of now, I don't plan on quitting any time soon. Just gotta get my inspiration back!**

 **Thanks to everyone who read, followed, favourited and reviewed this collection of nonsense!**

 **Buh-Byeeeeee! ;)**


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